A World Of My Own
by sesshywesshy
Summary: Kagome accidentally falls into the world of Inuyasha. An adventure ensues, with Naraku, friendship, and possibly love on the road? And who is this prince that she gets so interested in? InuKag, MirSan. Please R&R! The later chapters are better, so read on
1. A Strange Coin

A World Of My Own

A/N: My first Inuyasha fanfiction. I have another account I use for Bleach fanfictions. I also apologize if my knowledge is only half complete, but I am steadily reading my way through the manga. Also, romance is most definitely NOT MY THING, so this is just a little test of my writing skills. After all, there is basically no other genre you can write about Inuyasha besides romance. So, here we go.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA.

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Chapter 1:

A Strange Coin

_Umm… how do I do this question again?_ Kagome asked herself for the third time, 15 minutes into the math test, and she didn't remember the concept. Shifting her hand under her chin in a more comfortable manner, she continued down the page, chewing thoughtfully on the back of the pencil.

A bit more than an hour later, she was strolling out of the classroom with a relieved air, folder and books clutched under my arm. Kagome's friend, Yuka, dropped in beside her.

"Hey Kagome! I can't believe they make us take all that crap." She complained to her friend.

"Mmm…" Kagome replied halfheartedly, her mind elsewhere. They walked to their lockers with Yuka still chatting away and Kagome- well, she was in dreamland.

"Kagome?"_Who is that again?_ "Kagome. Wake up!" Somebody was talking to her… _Oh! Yuka!_ She thought suddenly and catapulted herself out of her daydreams.

"Huh? Waddya want?" she stared imploringly at her friend.

"I was just asking you, are you going to the winter dance with Hojo-kun?"

"Uh… I dunno…" she shrugged, mumbling some random excuses and turned away to put her stuff in my locker, opening the door in Yuka's face to block her out.

"Come on Kagome." Yuka pulled the door back and looked at her. "You're just avoiding the question. Hojo-kun's asked you out various times and every time you've made up some lame excuse not to go out with him. Why?"

Kagome looked away and starting fiddling with her folder, muttering something about not being interested.

"What?" Yuka caught wind of Kagome's muttering and craned her neck forward to hear.

"I_said_, I'm not interested."

"WHY NOT??!!" She asked, teetering on the brink of panic.

"You know what, Yuka? Maybe there _is_ a perfect guy out there for me. Maybe I _am_ destined for someone. I don't know. What I do know is that guy IS NOT Hojo."

There was a little sound behind them and they both spun around to see Hojo standing there with a pained expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Higurashi. I never knew you felt that way." He gulped and looked down.

"Hojo…" Kagome frowned. How should she say this? "Hojo… I did mean what I said, but you're … a nice guy…"

"Thank you Higurashi." His face brightened considerably, as always when somebody complimented him. Happy once again, he turned and walked away with a little spring in his step.

"You see?" she turned and hissed to Yuka. "I don't want a guy who is that … _simple!_"

Yuka gasped and clutched her heart as if Kagome had stabbed a knife there. "Did you just say _Hojo-kun_ was _simple?_" She stared at her in horror.

"Yes. Now leave me alone." And Kagome hurried away to her next class, closing the locker door in Yuka's face and never looking back, though she could feel her friend's eyes boring into her back.

Halfway through class, she winced at a piercing pain in her head. It shot through and then subsided, but left a dull but extremely painful ache throbbing in her forehead. Kagome raised her hand and asked hurriedly to be excused, after which she walked down the hallway clutching her head. A small draft of wind brushed against the back of her neck, and she thought she heard a slight rustling of clothes. Turning, Kagome saw nothing except a small golden coin dropping to the floor with a clatter.

_Weird…_ She stooped and picked it up, looking at the designs on it. They were odd, consisting of a large dog and a round ball, seemingly a jewel. Suddenly, as she stared, the world began to spin and she descended into darkness, the pain in her head intensifying until she blacked out.

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A/N: I know the first chapter is a bit short, but how do you like it? And PLEASE review! I live on them! Thank you all who read this!


	2. A Grand Welcome To Sengoku Jidai

A World Of My Own

Disclaimer: Takahishi Rumiko owns Inuyasha and all its characters, not me. –Sniffle—it's just so sad, isn't it?

A/N: Another chapter… sorry if the last one was too short for you. And a great thanks to those who reviewed! Here goes…

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Chapter 2

A Grand Welcome To Sengoku Jidai

Suddenly, as she stared, the world began to spin and she descended into darkness, the pain in her head intensifying until she blacked out…

Kagome awoke to an odd smell, bitter and choking. It made her feel parched and she coughed, attempting to rid herself of the sensation that somebody was sucking the air out of her. Sitting up, she found herself in a wood, sitting in a grassy clearing. Beside lay a single golden coin, engraved with a large dog and a spherical jewel. She scooped it up and slipped it in her skirt pocket, resolving immediately to find her way back to her math class. Kagome was rising from the ground when a sharp pain shot through her head, making her wince and place her hands on either sides of her head.

"Damn…" She whispered to herself. Apparently, the headache had not disappeared.

"Tsk tsk, such language for a maiden such as yourself." A voice reprimanded her softly and teasingly, and she knew the speaker did not mean what they said. She turned, winced as another bolt of pain lanced through her head, then stared at the unexpected visitor.

It was a young man, dressed in the clothes of a houshi in Sengoku Jidai, holding a staff and wearing a glove on one of his hands, wrapped in a string of prayer beads. Kagome judged that he couldn't be much older than herself.

"What is it, dress-up day at your school?" she teased him with a smile at his outrageous dressing. The man looked confused and asked her curiously:

"What is d-er-ess up day? And why would I, of this age be going to school? That is for mere youngsters."

Kagome's mouth dropped open and laughter bubbled out soon after, wiping away the pain in her head.

"How old are you?" She asked the man as soon as her giggles had subsided.

"16 years." Was his reply.

"Oh? And _what_ time period are you living in, man? Sheesh, you'd think you were all fit to go travelling in Sengoku Jidai. What's your name anyway? Mine's Kagome."

He smiled understandingly. "Pleased to meet you Kagome-sama, my name is Miroku. And I see you are another visitor. Prince Sesshoumaru has been bringing in more and more of those. I am a houshi, you see, employed by his brother, Prince Inuyasha. What time are you from? The last one insisted she was from an odd time period called '1850'."

Kagome gasped and wobbled slightly at this news. "You mean…" she whispered to the houshi "I'm in… another _time period_?"

"Hmm… yes." Miroku tapped his chin. "You mentioned the words 'Sengoku Jidai' before, and I believe that the people in the future call it that, from my other experiences. The people of the past, however, called it the future." He laughed at his own joke, then stopped abruptly when he saw Kagome's face was a pasty white, all the blood having drained from her visage. Her chestnut eyes were open wide with shock and he watched, surprised as she fell, her eyes glazing over as she blacked out.

Reacting fast, the houshi reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground. Lifting her bridal style, he glanced at her face and thought._Hmm… pretty. Prince Sesshoumaru will like this one, though he will probably give her to Naraku like all the others. _Absentmindedly he rubbed her thigh. There was a loud slapping sound and suddenly he was on the ground with a hand mark on his face. Standing over him was a demon taijiya in her uniform with her cat youkai Kirara. It was his friend Sango also working for Inuyasha. The outstretched hand she had used to slap him with was now clenched into a fist, which she held up threateningly, then spat out at Miroku.

"Out picking up girls again, aren't you, Miroku? Literally, this time."

Miroku shook his head, stammering slightly as he blabbered out a reply.

"No no no no never, dearest Sango. She was another one from a time and she fainted and I picked her up and then you came and slapped me because-"

SLAP!

"Because you were groping her!" Sango shrieked at him. She raised her hand again.

"NO!" Miroku put his hand out in defense of himself, but it was pushed aside by her booted foot. She then kneeled on the ground on either sides of him, straddling his stomach, and starting slapping his face with alternate hands on each cheek.

"How-many-times-do-I-have-to-tell-you?!!" She yelled between slaps. "Never-grope-girls!!"

There was a small shuffling noise behind her and both whirled around to see Kagome attempting to escape. She felt their eyes boring into her back and spun around, squeaking an excuse.

"Well it looked like you two were… busy so I think I can find my way home, thank you!" Then she turned and plunged into the woods.

"Wait!" Sango got off Miroku and ran after Kagome, picking up Hiraikotsu, which she had dropped to slap her houshi friend.

"Damn it." She cursed as she ran. "That damn girl from another time is going to get herself killed by a youkai."

A scream sounded through the trees slightly to her right, and she turned, plunged through the woods and jumped into the air, yelling "HIRAIKOTSU!" while spinning the giant boomerang to the source of the evil aura she could feel. Her weapon cut through the brush and hit the large snake-like youkai smack on the head. A huge gash appeared, then youkai, blood running down its massive jaw, turned towards the more formidable opponent. A pile of weapons and bones lay on the ground close to it, and Sango had the uncomfortable feeling that they were soldiers that the youkai had already devoured. She caught Hiraikotsu just as Kirara, in her large youkai form this time, ran out of the trees.

Sango jumped onto her back and threw Hiraikotsu once again, this time slicing straight through its body. Miroku came running out of the bushes as well, the slap marks on his face still glowing slightly. He flung off the prayer beads and glove on his hand, then held it up. Somehow, as Kagome watched, amazed, the youkai was gradually being sucked in. Just as the whole lower half of the body disappeared, it twisted round with amazing speed and nearly caught Miroku in its jaws. Sango looked shocked and horrified, but the houshi managed to twist out of the way just in time, even as a fang took off one of his sleeves and grazed his arm. Then, hitting the youkai on the head, making it fall to the ground (which cracked, he started to uncover the kazanna when a wave of pain suddenly racked his body and he fell, kneeling, to the ground.

"Miroku-sama!" Kagome shouted.

He turned to her his eyes pained, and choked out "Its… the poison… from the fangs."

Kagome watched as the snake descended on the houshi. Sango was already hurling Hiraikotsu into the air, but everybody could see she would be too late. Kagome, without thinking, darted to the pile and snatched up a bow and an arrow. Nocking the arrow, she let fly, hoping that it would hit the youkai. After all, she had only studied archery for a week or so at a camp back at school. It all seemed a very long time ago now.

The arrow flew through the air towards the youkai, an odd blue aura gathering around it. Miroku was just lifting the kazanna once again when it impacted with the youkai's head, immediately purifying it and blowing it to pieces. Sango caught Hiraikotsu as it flew back to her, the target having been eliminated, and stared at Kagome with a surprised look in her eyes. Miroku, though he was now covered in bits of snake youkai, had a soppy relieved grin spreading across his face as he covered the kazanna again. Kagome stared at the area where the youkai had been purified, not believing that _she_ had actually done that.

Dropping the bow and arrow, she walked towards Sango and Miroku and asked them

"Are you OK?"

"Find, miko-sama" Miroku answered, still grinning away like a maniac.

"I'm no miko!" Kagome defended herself.

"That arrow purified the youkai immediately. You are a miko, Kagome-sama."

"Call me Kagome." She started to walk away.

"Wait- Kagome!" Miroku called after her.

"Yes?" She turned.

"Come here."

She walked over to him.

He grabbed her hands.

"Will you, the woman who saved my life, bear my child?"

Sango was swelling with rage.

SLAP!

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A/N: Well, I wrote more than expected, but oh well! My fingers have a life of their own! We will meet Inuyasha in the next chapter. REVIEW PLEASE!!!


	3. Meeting The Prince

A World Of My Own

Disclaimer: If I own Inuyasha, then you are a stuffed chicken. I give my sincere thanks to Takahashi Rumiko for creating Inuyasha!

A/N: Well, I decided to write another chapter, just for the fun of it, and also because she hasn't even met Inuyasha yet! And for the nice reviews all these lovely people give me. I don't have so many reviews, actually. I just posted my second chapter so what should I expect? Only one review for my measly excuse of a first chapter, thank you to **Clouds of the Sky**. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Meeting the Prince

SLAP!

"You pervert!" Sango muttered, withdrawing her hand from Miroku's now red cheek. He released Kagome's hands and gave her an apologetic look before attempting to stand.

Attempting.

A spasm of pain shot through him again and he dropped back down to the ground again, his vision swimming and the nausea rising in him. _Dammit,_ he thought. _If this goes on any longer I might get really sick_. Sango frowned and lifted him gently onto Kirara, making sure he sat securely on the cat youkai's back. Then she climbed on herself. Miroku mumbled a word of thanks and her lips twitched in the hint of a smile.

"Are you getting on or not?" the question was directed to Kagome.

"Huh? Well…" She was about to turn the offer down, wanting to find her way back home when Miroku spoke, his voice pained.

"Let her come… don't let… _Naraku_…have her." At this sentence, Sango frowned again, this time with a trace of worry in her eyes.

"You should come, Kagome." She said.

"Where are you going? What's wrong with Naraku?" Kagome was filled with questions.

"We are returning to Inuyasha's castle. Naraku is the one who cut the kazanna in houshi-sama's hand. He is evil. He will devour you and your powers, like he has done with all of the other girls who arrived in this time period."

She could have said nothing else to convince Kagome more than that. She walked forward and scrambled onto Kirara's back behind Miroku. Kirara leapt into the air, and Sango visibly relaxed. All of a sudden, however, Kagome saw her back stiffen and then she spun around and smacked Miroku on the head.

"Uwaaaah!" He cried, sliding to the side.

"You pervert! You're poisoned and you can still grope people." She turned back and sat forward just the tiniest bit more.

Kagome smiled at their behaviour and looked down onto the green forest canopy that was quickly passing beneath them. She was still brimming with questions, but she was sure that they would all be answered in due time. The sun was perched on the horizon, an orange globe, with the sky around it fading from orange to purple and then to the tiniest hint of blue high above them. The air wrapped around her, filled with the scent of something sweet and fragrant- flowers perhaps? She looked down and gasped. They were passing over fields of flowers, a colourful display perhaps in the day time, but now in the dusk they were mere bunches of plants, coloured orange or perhaps purple by the fading light, though their scent still lingered and reached them here in the air.

Then Kagome looked up.

And spotted a huge structure up ahead. It was a castle, red and white flags billowing from the tall turrets, many windows of different sizes spotting the stone walls. A massive gate was the entrance to the building, but unlike the castles from the medieval ages that Kagome had studied before, there was neither moat nor drawbridge. In fact, it seemed that there was no real defensive system at all, the turrets were empty as well. Then she saw the five gigantic inu youkai guarding the gates and the clearing where the castle resided. They looked like giant pure white dogs, though their fangs were extremely large and they had markings on their forehead. As Kagome watched, there was a small glow of light from one inu youkai's marking- a crescent moon -and it transformed into a man, wearing a thick fur pelt, who walked towards the castle. As he passed, the inu youkai inclined their heads respectfully, a sort of bow, which determined that he was not actually a guard, but royalty. So there were four guards left to defend the castle.

Kirara landed with only a slight bump on the dirt ground in the clearing just outside the castle. An inu youkai padded over to them and, recognizing Miroku and Sango, inclined its head slightly. Kagome had to resist the urge to pet the head- the fur looked so soft and the big dog looked so _cute!_ Sango and the youkai exchanged sentences in low voices for a while before he (the inu youkai) turned his head and trotted into the castle. Soon after, a stretcher arrived, being carried by a couple of men. Miroku was lifted off Kirara and onto the stretcher, and proceeded to be carried into the infirmary. Luckily it was only on the first floor of the castle and there was an entrance to it from the outside. The houshi looked in bad shape.

Kagome was escorted into the castle by an inu youkai, tall enough that she could walk under his stomach with his fur high above her head. Though she was worried about Miroku, and she didn't know what was ahead of her, part of her subconscious couldn't help thining: _this is so COOL! I'm walking next to a giant dog! Into a castle!_

Led into a room, she was given some clothes and soon settled down. Bathing – it felt like ages since she'd had a bath – Kagome changed into a slim rich purple kimono with a scattering of blue petals decorating the side. Walking down the steps, a servant suddenly appeared out of nowhere, surprising her.

"Agh!" She shrieked suddenly. "Oh sorry sorry sorry you just came out of thin air and I freaked… sorry."

The servant, still looking thoroughly bewildered at being apologized to by a guest so many times in a sentence, led her into a great hall without a word. There was a high ceiling, and a few long tables lined up in the middle, with a large table at the front for royalty (just think of the great hall in Harry Potter). She was led to a seat beside Sango, now wearing a pretty blue kimono with her hair let down, and Miroku, looking much better.

"So what did you tell the … inu youkai?" She asked Sango curiously.

"That you were a guest of honour invited by me and you were to stay here until you decided to leave." Sango laughed.

"Oh… nice." Kagome frowned. "But I need to get home… I don't know how, though…"

"We'll find a way." Assured Miroku from the other side, resting his hand warmly on hers.

"Uh… thank you." Kagome edged her hand out from under his.

"But for today," Miroku gestured to the food set out in front of them "FEAST!!" he bellowed happily.

Some people at the table turned to stare at them incredulously, as if they were saying "what the hell do you think you're doing?". Miroku shut up and tried to make himself as small as possible. Unfortunately, he tried to (unsuccessfully) hide behind Sango, unconsciously grabbing her kimono as he did so. Sango, outraged, starting aiming slaps at him behind her back. And so the slapping war began. And that was all before dinner started.

Sango slapped Miroku. Miroku poked Sango. Sango slapped Miroku. Miroku poked Sango.

"Stop it, you pervert!"

"Slap me not!"

SLAP!

"Owwww!" He clutched his face.

"Ha!"

Poke.

"Hey!"

SLAP.

"Ouch!"

Poke.

"Leave me alone!"

Push. He almost went flying into a pudding laid out on the table before him.

"Yum… pudding." He smiled.

"Tsk." Sango snorted.

Poke.  
SLAP!

"My face!" From Miroku.

SLAP!

"MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!!!" From Miroku again.

More weird looks from around the table.

It was only when a man stepped to the front of the hall that a hush descended on them. Sesshoumaru, the youkai with the crescent moon mark on his head, started to speak.

"I am only here for my half brother's ceremony, to decide who he should marry now that he has come of age. After this I will return to my own castle. Takahashi Inuyasha, will you please come forward."

A young man wearing a red haori with long silvery white hair and dog ears poking out of them stepped to the front of the hall.

"Your future wife will be Kikyou." Sesshoumaru gestured for Kikyou to come up. She came.

Kagome saw that Kikyou was extremely pretty, and she had to admit that Inuyasha's dog ears were really cute! Kikyou had beautiful brown eyes, and long black hair, and she looked calm and composed. Inuyasha, however, had a slightly disgusted and annoyed look on his face as he stared at her.

"Inuyasha and Kikyou." Sesshoumaru intoned in a droning voice, looking bored with his whole speech. "You will marry in exactly two months time, on the night of the new moon." Inuyasha started slightly at this, his golden eyes widening. Sesshoumaru turned and shook Kikyou's hand, then turned again and shook Inuyasha's hand. Kikyou reached for Inuyasha's hand as well, intending to shake it, but he scoffed "Feh!" and walked back to his spot at the front table, arms crossed.

Sesshoumaru stared at him icily, and Kagome thought she saw the slightest flicker of intense hatred in his cold eyes. Then the moment was over and he dismissed himself. The whole hall burst out in a bustle of conversation and the sound of food being devoured. Sango and Miroku started the poking/slapping war again, but Kagome was too distracted to notice. She couldn't get the look of Sesshoumaru's eyes filling with such hatred out of her mind.

After dinner Kagome wandered back to her room, nearly getting lost a couple of times in the huge castle. Her mind was wandering elsewhere, back home to school and her family, when she slipped on the wet floor and fell. Surprised, she flung out her hands, bracing herself for the impact- but it never came. She was caught safely in a pair of warm arms and found herself staring into a face with golden eyes, framed with silvery white hair.

"Gee, you're clumsy, aren't you, wench?" Her "saviour" growled.

"Inuyasha…?"

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Sesshywesshy: Weeeee! She finally gets to meet the prince!

Inuyasha: (Sarcastic voice) Oh whooopeee. I get to meet he clumsy wench.

Sesshywesshy: Shuddup. You two are supposed to like each other.

Inuyasha: (Scoffs) As if!

Kagome: Pffft! I like his ears though. (reaches for ears)

Inuyasha: What! (Flaps about wildly, trying to protect ears)

Kagome: NO! EAAARRRS!

Sesshywesshy: Oh cmon, guys. Chill.

Inuyasha: Leave.Me.ALONE!

Kagome: (scurries away) Kyaaaa!

Sesshywesshy: (sighs and shakes head) those two…

Bye guys! (for now!) REVIEW PLEASE! Wow, I'm really churning out chapters aren't I? (Chorus of "Yes"'s) HEE HEE! Cya! I'll be back with another chapter soon!


	4. Subdued

Disclaimer: NO NO NO! For the last time, I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!

A/N: Thanks to the magnificent people who reviewed- **Clouds of the Sky **again and **animerocks23** I felt compelled to write another chapter as soon as possible. Not to mention the lovely readers (hehe!) who added my story to their favourites list- **Falling Angels**,**xxenchantixgirlxx **and**DARK LOVE PRINCESS **as well as the alert list- the two who reviewed already and**cubangreekchik**. Thanks to you all!

To**Clouds of the Sky**: Yes your flattery is working and I am swelling with pride (haha!)

To**Falling Angels**: Please review, Booya. Otherwise you won't get your manga books back (NO I'M KIDDING!)

Enjoy, guys!

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Chapter 4

Subdued

"Gee, you're clumsy, aren't you, wench?" Her "saviour" growled.

"Inuyasha…?"

"It's Inuyasha-sama to you, wench. Or Prince Inuyasha."

"Oh, I'm _so sorry_ that I didn't treat you like spoilt royalty." Kagome retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I'm not one of those girls who pleads after you-" She imitated a high girly voice "Prince Inuyasha, _please_ look at me!"

He snorted and she wondered for a moment if she was wrong, but then he looked back at her and sneered.

"It's not like you've gotten any praise your whole life, you butt-ugly servant."

"Hey! For your information, I was invited here by Sango and Miroku."

"Feh! The demon exterminator and the pervert houshi. Though they would usually be after full-blooded youkai, the girl still gives me the creeps."

"You're not a full youkai, are you?" Kagome asked curiously.

He shot her a glance, then growled "No. I'm a hanyou."

"Oh, but your ears are just _too_ cute!" She reached up to tweak them and giggled when he growled.

"You're still sitting in my lap, wench."

Kagome immediately blushed various shades of red and got off his lap, allowing him to stand. He turned and started to walk away.

"Hey! Wait! Where're you going?"

"Why? You want me to stay?"

"No, but I barely know you!"

"So you want some time to share and see if we're kindred souls?" He sneered.

"NO! But I want to know you better!"

"Why?" He was intrigued.

"Because- you're interesting." She admitted.

"Oh joy. I've become an _interesting_ specimen."

"Exactly." Kagome firmly stated. "Now come over here so I can interrogate you." She expected him to scoff and turn and walk away, but to her surprise he turned meekly, walked back to her and stood in front of her. Kagome raised her eyebrows, then spotted the beaded necklace on his neck.

"Nice necklace…" She reached for it absentmindedly but he batted her hand away with an annoyed air.  
"I didn't choose to put it there."

"Huh?"

"An old lady put it on me and subdued me."

"So if I say a certain word, your subduing word, what will happen?"

"I'll fall." He said it seriously with a straight face.

She laughed, throwing back her head and her ebony locks flipped over her shoulder as she shook with uncontainable mirth. 

"What?" Inuyasha looked intrigued at her laughter but was just the slightest bit annoyed. In truth, he was wondering about her. _What an interesting girl._ He thought._Hah, now she's the specimen._

"Inuyasha?"

He came back to earth with a thump, and stared at the shorter girl standing in front of him, a slight smile pasted on her face and her silky black hair back in place.

"You had this weird dreamy look on your face."

He blinked. "I never look dreamy."

"Well, then that was your first time. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Feh."

"Why did your half brother address the inhabitants of the castle and not your dad or somebody. Or your mom?"

"Dad's dead. Mom's sick."

"Oh…sorry."

"Don't be. I still have something to remember him by." Inuyasha smirked and patted the sword strapped to his waist in a leather scabbard."

Kagome stared, horrified. "You made a sword out of your dad!"

"Out of his fangs, to be precise, but overall, yeah. Or rather, he made a sword out of himself."

"Oh. That's…nice."

"Shuddup you idiot. If you dunno what to say, just leave me alone."

"Well, as it is, you're a boring person and instead of standing here, can we _sit_ somewhere?"

To her immense surprise, Inuyasha plunged to the ground headfirst, doing a complete face plant and looking extremely stupid lying there on the ground, struggling to get his face off the floor.

"Uh…" Kagome stared at him shamelessly, until he stood up and growled at her.

"It was that word. My subduing word."

"…sit?" She tried again tentatively and he fell to the floor once again, snarling as he heard her giggling above his head.

"Leave me alone, wench."

"My name is Ka-go-me, not 'wench'." She insisted, raising an eyebrow. "And if you can't get that right, I might just say the S-I-T word some more." He growled at her menacingly and stood, brushing his haori off.

"Kagome?" There was somebody calling her and she turned to see Miroku and Sango standing behind her, having watched the whole exchange rather disbelievingly. Kagome, the guest who nobody knew, subduing the prince of the realm! Who would believe it? Her eyes strayed downwards to somewhere near their feet and she saw the small kitsune cub, with ginger hair.

"How cute!" Kagome turned fully, leaving Inuyasha looking neglected and slightly dusty and walked over to the small fox youkai.

"What's your name?" She asked him, scooping him up in her arms.

"Shippou!" He said, taking a liking to her immediately.

"So, Shippou… want to tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Ok!"

Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha stared after her with blank eyes as she walked away, chatting with Shippou. Then they looked at each other. There was an uncomfortable silence, though Miroku broke it by reaching out and caressing Sango's bottom, though his eyes were still turned in the direction that Kagome had gone.

SLAP!

"Feh! That wench makes friends too easily. That's gonna get her in trouble." Inuyasha frowned and started to walk.

"What do you care?" Sango asked, withdrawing her hand from Miroku's glowing cheek.

Inuyasha turned, surprised. "I-I don't!" He stammered slightly, shaking his hands in front of him as if to ward off her words. Then he turned again and started walking down the hallway, muttering something about how Kagome was going to die of friendliness.

"You're right." Sango smiled gently. "She does make friends easily, especially with grumpy hanyous."

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A/N: To be continued! Ok, so like always, I'm begging you to review! And I don't mind criticism, as long as it makes sense! PLEASE REVIEW! And though I know there was way too much dialogue in this chapter, but it was kinda necessary, next chapter will have more action, I promise.

Also, please give me some reviews on the amount of romance you want in this story, because you should know I am a worthless lump at putting romance into a story, humour is my real thing. Oh well, I'll give it a try! --- IF YOU REVIEW!

Oh and **Falling Angels**, if you review then I might recommend your Inuyasha story to others. (A.K.A. Review or you will get NO publicity)—Hee hee! Never mind, I'll do it now. My friend has created a work of art (romance as well) called "Romancing the Stone" SessKag ficcy.

See you all in my next chapter! (Or I hope so!)- The implied meaning being you have to read the next one… Bye (for now.)


	5. Naraku

Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko owns Inuyasha, not me. NOT ME_. NOT ME!_

A/N: Man, you guys are awesome! Thank you to **Clouds of the Sky **AGAIN, and **serahrose **as well as **Falling Angels **and **animerocks23**. Also, thanks to **HalfDemonMica** who added my story to their favourites list and **kagome-AKAangle** who added it to their alert list.

**Serahrose**: Thank you for the lovely two reviews and I will take a look at some of your fanfics and review them. (Wee! I'm sure they aren't as bad as you make them out to be.) I'm glad you understand my dilemma.

**Clouds of the Sky**: Due to your funny reviews I can predict that any story you write will by far exceed mine. I'll read some of your fanfics as well. By the way, no threat needed to be used to convince my dear friend to review, as she obeys my every command! (A.K.A. She _does_ respect my wishes.) Hee hee! And I don't think anybody would like to buy my pride… it looks rather ugly and smells kinda bad too. Sorry for the long reply, but one long message deserves another!

**Falling Angels**: I can see the manga comment worked, Booya. You will get your manga books back. (All in due time, my dear, all in due time.)

**Animerocks23**: Love your reviews. Don't worry, I'm updating as soon as possible. I've gotten myself hooked on your lovely reviews! HAHA!

And so we go…

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Chapter 5

Naraku

A sliver of sunlight cut through the dark blue curtains and shone onto the sleeping figure in the bed. The covers stirred slightly and the figure rose, and a face with large chestnut eyes and raven coloured hair streaming down the shoulders was drawn out of the cover of the quilts.

Kagome took a look around her with slightly blurry eyes; taking in what she thought was _her _chest of drawers, _her _desk, _her_ cupboard, and the beautiful blue curtains hanging over the arched window. Then she looked away.

And whipped her head right back around.

_Blue curtains? Arched window? Where the hell am I! _She got out of the bed and ran the fabric of the curtains through her fingers, before jerking them aside to stare out the window, gasping slightly at the beautiful view of the forest canopy and the grounds below. Looking down at a slight noise on the ground under her window, she saw a giant inu-youkai pacing on the dirt, snuffling ever so slightly. Drawing the curtains back fully and allowing the sunlight to flood into her room, she remembered _Oh, that's right. I'm in Inuyasha's castle… _She stepped away from the window and picked up a some clothes to change into – her school uniform – and walked towards the bathroom. _…that idiot._ She added as an afterthought.

After taking a long and leisurely shower, she headed downstairs in her fresh clothes to find Sango and Miroku halfway up the stairs, holding a breakfast tray.

"Oh." She stood against the side of the staircase to let them pass. "Who's that for?"

Miroku, going into full pervert mode, handed Sango the jug of water that he had been carrying and, holding Kagome's hand in his, kissed it.

"You, my dear." He smiled.

Sango, looking infuriated, nevertheless had no hands to slap him with while holding the tray of food and the jug of water. So, setting the jug down on the staircase, she gave him a sound clocking on the head with one hand and headed down the stairs again, rattling the breakfast tray angrily. Miroku collapsed on the staircase, sprawling over-dramatically and almost knocking over the jug of water. Kagome snorted, trying to contain her laughter, but in the end she ran down the stairs clutching her mouth, giggles overcoming her.

She jumped down the last two steps and banged straight into a chest clothed in a red haori. She looked up and groaned inwardly when she spotted the dog-ears perched on top of his head. Removing her hands from her mouth, she stepped back so as to gain some personal space and said simply.

"You."

Inuyasha frowned deeply and opened his mouth to retort when Miroku came hurtling down the stairs, banging into Kagome's back and doing a complete face-plant on the floor in another extravagant position. Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up and he hunched over in a fit of laughter. Kagome turned around to see Miroku's face at her feet and started giggling all over again. Miroku groaned and turned his face away from her shoes, muttering something about his suffering and leaving him in peace to die.

"Anyway." Inuyasha turned Kagome's attention back on himself. "My disgusting half-brother has left, so feel free to wander the castle." He placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair slightly. "Have a nice day, wench." And then he brushed past her and swept up the staircase.

Kagome stood stock-still; her eyes wide open with surprise until she heard the door slam upstairs. Her hand strayed to her ruffled hair and she briefly wondered why he had decided to do that. Then she shrugged it all off, and picking Miroku up proceeded to drag him down the hallway towards the smell of breakfast. (Kagome can be incredibly strong when she's hungry. Like the hulk when he's angry. HEHE!)

A few hours later, her hunger sated and her extensive search of the castle having revealed nothing but what she suspected was one of Inuyasha's red haoris lying unwashed in a laundry hamper, Kagome stepped out of the castle. Sango, slightly worried for her safety despite the gigantic inu-youkai surrounding the castle, had given her a bow and a quiver of arrows, which were now slung across her back, the bow in her hand. Still wearing her school uniform, she strolled into the forest, allowing the sheer peacefulness of the noises and the atmosphere to wash over her in waves of relaxation. Stretching out in a small grassy clearing, she closed her eyes and thought _Aaaah… this is bliss._ That was before the ground collapsed under her, however.

"WHAT THE-?" She was in a hole. A tunnel, to be more accurate, the darkness on the both sides stretching away to who knows where, above her, she could see the Kagome-shaped hole where she had fallen through, and the sun and trees up above. But it all seemed quite far away now. She started and gave a small shriek as she heard footsteps echoing through the tunnel, coming towards her. Putting a hand out on the wall for support, she shivered and drew it back, realising suddenly that the walls of the tunnel, and even the floor, were covered in thick, dense, black hair. Suddenly, a shape loomed out of the darkness before her and she screamed and scampered backwards. A young man had suddenly walked out of the shadows right in front of her, long black hair loosely splayed down his back and his red eyes gleaming dangerously. Reaching out, he lovingly stroked the walls of the tunnel and said simply. 

"Welcome."

"Kyaaa! Who are you!" Kagome clambered desperately away from him, backing into the other end of the tunnel.

"I am Naraku." He smiled mercilessly. "Hello, miko. You look like Kikyou, yet you are not Kikyou. Who are you?" Raising his hand, sharp claws popped out of the tips of his fingers. "Tell me now, before I, Naraku, kill you."

Kagome's eyes widened and she backed away, grasping for her bow. Pulling it out, she nocked an arrow and pointed it at Naraku, her hand shaking slightly. 

"Ha, you think to best I, Naraku, with a mere arrow?" He raised his hand. She fired the arrow, squeezing her eyes shut and begging for it to hit her enemy.

Naraku stared down disbelievingly at the stump where his arm once was.

"Ah… ku ku ku, I should have known." He turned back to her. "Purifying powers, eh? Yet that was simply a lucky hit." His smirk turned suddenly into a snarl and his whole body started to vibrate. Thick black hairs sprouted from all over his body, black as the night and sharp and hard as barbed wire. His face lengthened and enormous pearly white fangs emerged from his mouth. Within seconds, he had transformed into a giant beast that stood on three legs, a stump for the fourth, fur bristling all over its body.

Kagome fired again, and again, but each shot missed, though they gouged out deep furrows in the walls or the floor. Backing away, she turned and ran, knowing that there was nothing else she could do. Naraku immediately sprang after her, a sneer formal on his bestial lips, his fangs not making the smirk look any better. His pace was slow however, as if he was taunting her before killing her. Kagome pumped her legs harder, propelling herself further and further into the deep depths of the tunnel. It seemed to go on forever, but adrenaline lent her strength and she ran just ahead of Naraku's snapping jaws, her bow grasped in her hand in a death grip.

Suddenly, a shaft of light appeared in a turn of the tunnel up ahead of her and she ran desperately for it, sweat running down the side of her face. It appeared to be a round opening roughly the size of the one she had fallen through. Kagome leapt desperately for the edge, slinging her bow over her shoulder in one smooth movement. Her hand caught the edge; some dirt crumbled down and for a moment she thought she was going to fall. Miraculously, the edge of the opening held and she hung there for a moment before grasping it with her other hand. Naraku, rounding the corner, gave a roar when he saw his prey escaping and plunged forward, finally at his full speed. Kagome attempted to pull herself up, desperately, but her run had made her weak and tired. Just as Naraku's fang had grazed her leg, a hand grabbed hers and she was hauled up into the sunlight, collapsing for the second time into the lap of Inuyasha.

"Feh. Clumsy wench." He sneered slightly. Even so, he held her gently and carried her away from the opening, setting her down and examining her leg. She thought so saw a flicker of … was that worry in his golden eyes?

"What's wrong?" She asked nervously. After all, this was a guy she barely knew holding her leg.

"Naraku might have poisoned you." He answered bluntly.

"Eh?" Kagome's eyes popped out. "HE POISONED ME?"

"Shuddup. He only might've." Inuyasha frowned at the wound as if his eyes might help to heal it. Suddenly, he reached up and took off his haori, wrapping it around her instead.

"This should protect weak humans like you. Let's g-"

There was a mass explosion of soil and grass behind them, and Inuyasha turned to see Naraku grinning at them, in human form now, though there were masses of vines sprouting from his torso, legs and arms. They were reaching for Inuyasha, but just as the first curled around his ankle, the prince pulled a rusty old sword out of his scabbard. He swung it up high, and at that moment the sun caught the blade, which flashed and suddenly it transformed into a massive fang, the hilt and the blade separated by a large tuft of fur. Slicing away the vine, Inuyasha went straight into the offensive, screaming "Kaze no Kizu!" and blowing away a part of Naraku's vines. However, they still continued to grow, writhing and twisting as they stole across the ground of the clearing.

"Ku ku ku, hanyou. Is that all you can do?" Naraku smirked. "I will absorb you into my own body." The vines began to creep towards Inuyasha again.

Leaping over them, Inuyasha aimed blows at Naraku's head, shoulders and torso, but each time, the vines growing all around him simply shot up and blocked the attacks, though they were blown to pieces. Kagome stared around her, horrified. There were writhing vines everywhere, wriggling and growing. It made her skin crawl. Standing up suddenly, she wobbled slightly as her hurt leg gave way beneath her, but managed to nock an arrow and draw her bowstring back.

"Naraku!" She yelled, and then let fly.

Another surprised look was priceless as Naraku's usually sneering face was distorted with pain and shock. There was a large chunk missing out of his shoulder, right above the stump of his arm. Kagome fired again, and a wall of vines immediately went to block the attack- but they were purified almost instantly upon contact. This arrow blew a hole straight threw Naraku's stomach, and his ruby red eyes were filled with hatred as he disappeared back into the ground.

Only a whisper lingered in the clearing. 

"Ku ku ku… next time, miko."

"Eh… whatthehell?" Inuyasha muttered to himself, then got down on all fours and started sniffing around the clearing with his hanyou nose. Kagome sniggered, seeing the comical way he was snuffling around, then composed herself and walked over. Inuyasha had just stood up and was looking for Naraku with a miffed look on his face.

"What's with you?" He asked, confused, seeing the expression on her face.

She smiled and took his hand gently.

"Thanks…"

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A/N: Boowaweehee! Ok, so that chapter turned out longer than I imagined, but oh well, long chapters are nice, right? - - - no answer - - - . . . RIGHT! Again, REVIEW PLEASE! And I will try to put some MirSan romance in the next chapter… that is, if you want it… or if I want it. I dunno. Review on your views and I'll see!

Bye for now,

Sesshywesshy The WesshySesshy.


	6. Close Encounter With The Cook

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!!

A/N: Thankee all for the reviews! I am greatly in debt to you all! Ok, so this chapter is a Naraku-free chapter because he's just such an annoying thing, and its full of humour! Just because I felt like it, and I feel that I write better like that. But there's also romance mixed in… cuz that's the genre of the story and you gotta admit, it would kinda suck if it didn't follow that genre. By the way, Kagome, Sango and Miroku are 16, Inuyasha is 17.

Read on!

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Chapter 6

Close Encounter with the Cook

"What's with you?" He asked, confused, seeing the expression on her face.

She smiled and took his hand gently.

"Thanks…"

Inuyasha relaxed at her soft grip and Kagome _though__t_ she felt him squeeze her hand just the tiniest bit, or was it just the corners of his lips turning upwards slightly that distracted her? It hit her just then exactly how _beautiful_ his eyes were.

Of course, Miroku and Sango had to come blundering into the clearing just at that special moment. Miroku stopped short and his jaw dropped open at the sight of the usually gruff and grumpy Prince holding the hand of the miko he barely knew. Sango just smiled, seeing the small glimmer of –was it happiness?– in Inuyasha's eyes, and the smile on Kagome's lips. Just then, Inuyasha caught sight of the exterminator and the monk. Then his brain registered Kagome's hand in his. Startled, he let go of her hand as if it had burnt him, then turned away, huffing, back to his old self.

Miroku dropped back to earth with a bump.

"Awww…" He said and slid his arm sneakily around Sango's waist, pulling her to his side.

SLAP!

"Stop it!" She wriggled free and stood a short distance away, glaring holes into his head.

"Come on dear, I was just being friendly."

"A bit too friendly, if you ask me." She huffed and crossed her arms, starting to walk away.

"Sango, darling! Wait for me!" He dived desperately after her and just managed to catch the end of Hiraikotsu that was slung over her back. She was pulled abruptly backwards and hit him in the stomach, collapsing on him in a crumpled heap. 

"Sango… get off me." He whimpered. "and you might have to lose some weight too." he added with a feeble grin.

"YOU GREAT BIG OAF!" She twisted around, whacking his head with Hiraikotsu in the progress, and started banging his head against the ground.

Inuyasha and Kagome had been watching the whole exchange with amusement in their eyes. When they finally turned and started walking back to the castle, Sango spotted them and got off Miroku, joining them as they walked. Miroku was left lying slightly dazed on the ground, and it was not until later that they heard him come chasing after them, yelling 

"WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!"

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The next few days in the castle passed uneventful, with Inuyasha hiding away to spend some peaceful time by himself and Sango and Miroku preoccupied with preparing for the Prince's wedding.

Kagome shivered as she got into the bed. The only pyjamas she had been given were huge thick cotton robes that nearly suffocated her, and when she requested something lighter, they gave her a thin shirt and a pair of long grey pants, paper thin as well. Thankful for the large quilt covering her bed, she snuggled in and was drifting off to dreamland when Miroku and Sango burst through the door, dressed in their sleeping clothes and panting from exertion.

"Kagome!" Sango shook her.

"Whaaaaaaa-?" Kagome sat up and frowned at them. "Whazza matter with you two?"

"Well," Miroku began hurriedly "Sango and I were-"

"-Walking." Sango interrupted. "We were walking and we got kinda hungry and we went into the kitchen and kinda ate some of the food saved for the banquet between Kikyou and Inuyasha and all their advisors and stuff and visitors and some employees, like Miroku and me, and the cook – Kaede – kinda got mad and so now-"

Miroku cut her off "-we're screwed."

Kagome sighed. "Why did you come into _my_ room?" She demanded.

"Cuz the other people get grouchy and you're one of my only friends." Miroku shrugged sheepishly. "Except for Inuyasha of course, but he gets grumpy too…"  
"If you didn't grope all the friends (girls) that you used to have, then you might have some now." Sango muttered darkly under her breath.

"What was that, Sango my dear?" Miroku turned to her with an inquiring expression.

"You know full well what I said." Sango growled.

Kagome struggled out of her bed to interrupt their tiny argument when there was a clattering on the staircase and they heard footsteps rushing up towards their room. 

There was a cry of "I'll kill you!" from what was obviously the cook.

"Uh… would she really do that?" Kagome asked nervously.

Miroku nodded immediately.

"Last time I looked, she was carrying a large knife…" Sango trailed off pathetically.

"Ugh." Kagome and the others looked around to find no exit to the room… except the door that they had just come through. With a glance at one another, they exchanged looks and unanimously decided to…

Charge through the door.

Sango and Kagome merely ran down the staircase, while Miroku, caught up in his own fantasy, let out a bloodcurdling battle cry that sounded disturbingly like

"DEEAAAAAATH!!"

They met the cook halfway up the staircase, and sure enough she was bearing a large cleaving knife. Rushing past her and leaving the poor old lady in a daze, they continued down the staircase, taking them two at a time. The cook soon regained her senses, running down after them crying

"I'll have ye heads, all of you!"

"Kyaaaa!" Kagome and Sango sped up slightly, leaving Miroku behind.

"Noooo! Waiiiiiiit fooooor meeeee!" He pumped his legs faster and sped off, just behind them. Kaede, however, was surprisingly limber for an old cook, and was fast on their heels. She threw the carving knife (eeek!) and it sliced of a sleeve of Miroku's sleeping shirt.

"Aaagh!" Once threatened, he bounded forward like a frightened animal and overtook the two girls. Not to be beaten in this race, Sango and Kagome ran ever faster until they were all speeding abreast along the hallway. Then came the worst challenge possible.

A corner.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!" With a cry of terror and shock, they all collided into each other, Kaede coming soon after and jumping into the fray, chopping back and forth with the knife. Kagome and Sango struggled out, while Miroku was floundering about with Kaede in what looked disturbingly like blood. A bit flicked onto Sango's face and she was about to wipe it off, disgusted, when she found that it seemed like there was a … tomato seed in it.

SPLAT!

Kaede rose angrily, like a monster from the sea, tomato dripping down her face. Sango held another one clutched in her hand, and so did Kagome.

"Fiiiiirrrrreee!" Kagome shrieked and they threw again, and again until poor old Kaede was beaten backwards against the wall. She slumped down and then straggled away off down the other hall, beaten (for the time being). Miroku stirred limply in the puddle of tomato juice flooding out from the crates that had been stacked against the wall (now crushed, of course).

"I think she got me…" He murmured, touching his arm gingerly.

"What?" Sango looked at his arm carefully, but just then his other arm swung around with a tomato in hand, splatting it against the back of her head. She jerked backwards in surprise and started desperately trying to brush it out of her hair when Miroku was hit by another flying tomato, this time thrown by Kagome as revenge for her friend. Sango, fuming, picked up another one and let fly, hitting the houshi squarely in the face.

"MY EYES!" He clawed wildly.

"Fiiiire!" SPLAT! He was hit again.

"Fiiiiire!" SPLAT! And again.

"Volley!!" SPLAT! And again.

Miroku struggled to stand in the onslaught of tomatoes being flung at him, a tomato in each hand, then threw them both simultaneously at the girls, yelling his favourite sentence.

"BEAR MY CHILDREN!" SPLAT

"NEVER!" SPLAT

"EAT TOMATO!" SQUISH

"AAAAAAH!" SQUASH

"I SHALL TRIUMPH!" SPLAT

"MY BUTT YOU WILL TRIUMPH!" SPLAT

"You mean like this?" Grope.

SMACK

SPLAT

"HOW DARE YOU!" SPLAT

"I DARED!" SPLAT

"TASTE THIS!" SMASH

"Delicious!" Miroku licked his lips and smacked them, clearing his mouth of tomato pulp and juice.

Unknown to them all, Kaede was looming up behind them and it wasn't till she cleaved the tomato that Kagome was about to throw in two that the girls spun around and screamed, then dodged around her and ran for their lives, leaving Miroku to her merciless knife. Miroku jumped up, then sped after them, trailing tomato juice behind him. Kaede flicked a seed out of her hair and turned, racing after them and crying

"I'll kill ye all!"

Without even taking a glance at the royal seal on the door, Miroku, Sango and Kagome fled into Inuyasha's room and barricaded the door, pushing chairs against it and nervously waiting while a _certain someone_ watched them curiously. Kaede thundered past like an angry rhino, taking no notice of Prince Inuyasha's room, certain that the offenders were in front of her.

"Phew…" Kagome turned and … collided into a bare chest.

"Kyaa!" She squeaked and fell back to see Inuyasha staring down at her, wearing nothing but a pair of red pants.

"Waddya doin' here, Kagome?" He asked them all curiously, seeing the state they were in- dripping with tomato juice and pulp, rumpled and slightly scraped from their collision with the wall and each other.

Kagome immediately turned beet red and squeaked something about cooks with big knives. Miroku stepped forward and laid his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"My friend, I think we'll have to spend the night here. We have provoked the anger of a beast in the castle, and it will not rest till it has our heads hung up in the pantry." Kagome and Sango marvelled at his skill of exaggerating. Inuyasha gave them a small glare.

"It's true!" They nodded eagerly.

"Feh, fine. Stay, for all I care. I'm going back to bed." He walked back into the main part of his gigantic room to crash on his king-sized bed.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" Kagome asked indignantly

"Floor." He grunted, already crawling onto the bed.

"What? That bed is big enough for all of us!" She pointed out, annoyed.

"You and Kagome can sleep on the floor, Sango and I… will sleep on the bed." Miroku waggled his eyebrows at said girl.

SLAP!

"Kagome and I will share the bed, you guys can sleep on the floor." Sango stated in a no nonsense way, strolling up to Inuyasha- still crawling onto the bed- and yanking him forcefully off by his hair ("owowowowowowowowow!").

"C'mon Kags." She and Kagome crawled on and sank immediately into the luxurious quilts. Inuyasha and Miroku, looking miffed, grabbed pillows and blankets and were immediately asleep on the floor.

Kagome stared up at the ceiling, her body and brain refusing to go to sleep, though the steady breathing of those around her told her that they had all fallen into a deep slumber already. Inuyasha kept muttering in his sleep, that might be what was keeping her awake, she pondered, turning away from him.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled. Kagome let out a tiny squeak and spun around to see Inuyasha, still asleep, tug on her again. This time she slid off the bed and landed beside him on his blanket with a dull thump. Covering her with it, he murmured slightly before absentmindedly sliding his arm around her and pulling her to him. Kagome found her face buried in his bare chest and blushed again, trying to struggle out of his grip. He held fast, however, and determinedly tucked her head under his chin, his arm slung around her shoulders. Kagome gave up and closed her eyes, and to her utmost surprise, sleep overcame her and she drifted off in safe arms.

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A/N: Well, that was just a fun chapter for – you guessed it – fun. Looking forward to the next chapter, and REVIEW PLEASE! You know how I love them.

To be continued…

Sesshy the Wesshy.


	7. Ambush

Disclaimer: I

Disclaimer: I.Do.Not.Own.Inuyasha.

A/N: I lost my writing streak for a little while when I was overwhelmed by _outrageous_ amounts of homework. Curse teachers. Oh well, the ending of the last chapter was extremely… uncomfortable for me as I HATED IT, because I HATE ROMANCE. But oh well. Too bad – sniffle – there is no other choice of genre for this cursed manga/anime. Manga rocks!

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Chapter 7

Ambush

Kagome woke up to find herself warm and cozy…

In the Prince's arms.

"Eeek!" She struggled to lift the heavy clawed hand off her shoulder but Inuyasha simply frowned in his sleep and batted her arm away, snuggling deeper down into his quilts.

"Inuyasha!" She spoke in a hushed whisper, afraid of waking Miroku and Sango, who were… _not there_??

"_Miroku? Sango?_" Kagome whispered loudly. Peering up onto the bed, she saw the blankets neatly made. Curious now, she sat up as best she could under the heavy arm of the Prince and looked around. The room was empty and indeed looked much neater and tidier than it had the night before. Just as she was about to make another attempt to unburden herself of the big arm now draped about her waist, the door clicked open. A couple of gears turned and all of a sudden…

Miroku was drenched in water.

"YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!" Sango stormed up behind him. "I _told_ you to wait until they woke up! But no, you had to activate the damn thing all by yourself and-" she caught sight of Kagome sitting up in the bed and registered the stunned expression on her face "YOU WOKE THEM UP!" She clocked Miroku smack on the forehead with a resounding smack that echoed through the room and stalked out. Kagome could practically see the smoke trailing out of her ears and billowing out of her nose. Miroku shot her an apologetic glance before strolling over, dripping water all over the sheets, pushing Inuyasha around with his foot.

"Wake up, you idiot." Inuyasha stirred and opened his eyes.

"Wadda 'ell?" His blurry brain slowly registered the fact that he was hugging an unknown guest.

"Kagome… wadda 'ell you here for?" Slurring slightly, he pushed himself up and pulled his arm off her waist, going _slightly_ red as he saw that she was under his blanket.

"Oooooh." Miroku poised his fingertips together lightly with a gleeful expression on her face. "Seems like _somebody's _been getting intimate in the middle of the night. If he hasn't already done you the honour, Kagome-sama-" he dropped to one knee "will you bear my-"

CRASH

Kagome could swear she'd heard a crack as Sango's foot collided with Miroku's face.

"Oops." The demon exterminator stated, nonplussed, before walking away, _accidentally_ trodding on Miroku's hand as she did so.

Another happy morning in the happy realm of the happy Prince.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

That afternoon, however, was much more hurried, and the atmosphere was strained as preparations were made for the banquet that night between Kikyou and Inuyasha, the Prince and the Princess-to-be. Miroku had been quickly captured and brought to the kitchens by Kaede, forced to work as a price for the food he had eaten. Sango, however, was sneakily evading their grasp. The servants had searched everywhere but the roof. (Guess where Sango is, huh?).

Having been shooed (rather rudely too, in her opinion) out of the Prince's room, Kagome had changed quickly out of her slightly tomato caked clothes into her school uniform again. She found kimonos rather restricting. Bumping into yet another servant hurrying up and down the stairs, she hastily stammered out an apology before escaping (just narrowly) out the front door and into the clearing that contained the castle. Breathing deeply she inhaled long draughts of fresh air. When everybody was bustling about inside, it was hard to get a breath of oxygen that wasn't warm. Outside, however, the air was fresh and refreshingly cool.

"What this castle needs," she muttered to herself " is air-conditioning." Thinking of this modern invention, she remembered suddenly that she was in the past, and the worries came flooding back about how she was going to get home. Digging the mysterious coin out of her skirt pocket she regarded it carefully, tracing the marks of the engravings (a large dog and a round jewel) with the tips of her fingers.

There was a thumping noise right behind Kagome and it shocked her out of her dreams. Twisting around quickly, she saw that Inuyasha had plonked himself down right beside her and was frowning at the coin she held in her hand.

"Um- what are you doing here?" She stared at him curiously.

"Escaping from the damn mess inside, just like you." He replied nonchalantly and then reached out and plucked the coin from her hands and balanced it in his palm.

"Maybe you can tell me what that coin means." Kagome tried her luck.

"It's just the seal of my kingdom. The dog is my dad, the round jewel is the Shikon no Tama, my dad's jewel. It was stolen from him when he died. By my _half_ brother." Inuyasha spat out the last two words vehemently.

"Do you hate him that much?" Kagome asked him again.

"Hell yes." Inuyasha started to put the coin in his pocket.

"No!!" She reached out and grabbed his wrist. "That coin may be my only hope of getting home!" Then she looked down, wondering if Inuyasha knew she was from another time, another world. Perhaps she had said too much.

He flipped the coin back into her hand and looked away, where the sun was starting to sink behind the mountains.

"If it comforts you," he said, having smelt the worry in her scent, "I know where you're from- Sango and Miroku told me." He scratched a small bruise on his head absentmindedly. "And when I told them it was none of my business, that damn exterminator hit me with her stupid boomerang."

Kagome sniggered, imagining Inuyasha being clocked on the head with Hiraikotsu, being held by a fuming Sango. He heard her slightly muffled snickers and turned his head her way, dog ears twitching, and shot her a brief glare.

"It doesn't mean I'm gonna help you, you know."

Kagome sighed. "You have to learn some manners, Inuyasha."

"Make me."

"Sit."

THUMP.

"Damn you!" He struggled valiantly to brush the dust out of his luxuriant silver hair.

"Sit."

THUMP.

Sitting up again, he glared at her, and she responded by smiling pleasantly. Pocketing the coin, she shuffled slightly closer to him and said  
"Sit."

THUMP.

This time, however, he accidentally landed in her lap because he had been facing her. Pushing himself off his lap, he held his face dangerously close to hers and growled

"If you didn't smell nice, I would've killed you by now."

"I smell nice?" Kagome was genuinely astounded. Not that she had thought of herself as a stinking gorilla, just that she had never dreamt that Inuyasha would tell her she _smelt_ nice. Perhaps it was because of his dog nose, she pondered, that he smelt so many things differently.

Inuyasha reddened, realizing his words. "Not that you … I mean, you always smell nice… kinda like lavender and you know…" He turned away to hide his raging blush.

Kagome laughed and grabbed his face with both hands, squishing his cheeks.

"Don't look away, you're so cute when you blush."

"I'm cute?" This time it was Inuyasha's turn to look genuinely shocked.

"Uh, well you know … hot would be a better word…" Kagome's blush went out of control as she realized what she had stammered. "But … your ears and cute and all." She finished lamely and turned away too so as to hide her red face.

Inuyasha merely grinned and pushed her face back towards him. Seeing her red visage, he rocked back on his heels with barely contained laughter.

"You look cute too, if that's what you want to here."

"What?"

He mentally slapped himself for saying that.

A rustling in the undergrowth caught both their attentions and they turned to see a brown vine creeping out of the bush.

"Damn!" Inuyasha cursed and leapt to his feet, together with Kagome. She groped for her bow and arrows only to find them currently nonexistent (she left them in the castle before coming out), and so stepped back slightly. The vine twisted out with surprising speed, and before Inuyasha could have blown it apart it had wrapped itself around Kagome's neck and was squeezing mercilessly.

"Damn you, Naraku!" Inuyasha swiped the vine away from her neck with his claws and yelled "GET BACK!" at her. Doing as she was told, Kagome fell back when five more vines erupted from the bushes around the clearing and wrapped around her, suffocating and binding her tightly. Several more crept out as well to add to her bindings. Looking blearily at Inuyasha out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him battling with a huge clump of vines and unable to help.

"Inu… yasha…" She choked out softly, but her couldn't hear her. Her breath was caught in her throat, and she was suffocating, still tearing desperately at the vine around her neck. Her last memory before she blacked out was Inuyasha's cry of "KAGOME!" and… was that a loud bark?

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A/N: Ok, so Kagome is now comatose and at the mercy of several large brown vines. I love this story! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter! REVIEW! Thank you for reading too!


	8. Field Of Flowers

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha but PLEASE READ THE A/N BELOW!!

Here we are at the start of another chapter… this is the second time I've typed the wretched thing, cuz all my chapters got deleted by some STUPID RANDOM FLUKE ON MY COMPUTER!

--Sniffle—Anyway, I have noticed that my reviews are _dwindling_ with each chapter. To put it in plainer language, I AM GETTING LESS AND LESS REVIEWS WITH EACH CHAPTER!! This is a very very sad thing, and it makes me cry … well not really but I treasure each and every review and this fact definitely doesn't make me any happier!

So please review, the little purple button on the bottom of the page is VITAL to my self-esteem right now, because I've been losing LOADS of stuff with this damned computer! Ugh.

SO PLEASE REVIEW, GUYS, YOU KNOW IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY! Shed a little ray of sunshine on my dull and miserable life now.

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Chapter 8

Field of Flowers

"Inuyasha, come _on_."

"No."

"The banquet is _starting!_"

"No."

"_Inuyasha!_"

"Damn it Sango, I ain't gonna leave my friend here hurt, so why don't _you_ just go?"

"Because it celebrate your relationship with Kikyou!"

"I don't have a friggin' relationship with Kikyou!"

"I DON'T CARE!"

"I ain't goin' with Kagome here."

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut tighter and tried to ignore the throbbing head that was making quick work of turning her brain to mush. She felt her cheeks heat up just the tiniest bit from Inuyasha's loyalty of staying with her… or maybe he just really really hated Kikyou. Sango was still pleading with the stubborn hanyou.

"Inuyasha, _please_."

"Nope."

"Fine. Don't blame me when Kaede poisons your food. She _i__s_ Kikyou's sister, you know." Then there was the sound of a chair being pushed back, scraping loudly on the floor, footsteps and then the slamming of a door.

"Keh. Stupid…" Inuyasha trailed off, turning to Kagome. She could hear him reaching out and then felt him take up her hand and hold it in his own. Her heart fluttered a bit as he ran a claw lightly over the palm of her hand, then said in his low voice

"I know you're awake, you know."

Kagome's eyes sprang open and she sat up hesitantly, regretting the move when the pain in her head hammered down on her brain again, relentlessly. Inuyasha, seeing her wince, frowned slightly and turned away, gesturing to her neck. Kagome raised her eyebrows and turned on the bed to look at herself in the long mirror propped up by the wall. She gasped slightly upon spotting the rather large and ugly bruise where Naraku's vine had grabbed her around the neck.

"What happened?" She turned back to Inuyasha and asked him.

He frowned. "Well, I … couldn't reach you, but the inu youkai saved you… and I carried you here and… you woke up eventually."

"How long has it been?"

"I dunno… half an hour…"

"You were here the whole time?"

"Yes." He looked away, averting his gaze from her own. Suddenly, he stood abruptly and walked towards the door, with a short "I'm going to the banquet", slamming it in his wake just like Sango had.

"Wait!" Kagome choked out, swinging herself out of the bed despite the pounding pain in her head and walking slowly to the door.

"Wait!" She cried again as she opened it, but the short walk had drained her body of the strength which it already lacked, and she slumped against the doorframe, her throat tightening as the hallway in front of her eyes swam momentarily and she felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. Inuyasha stopped and turned with a look of worry on his face, then came back to her, grumbling.

"Stupid woman." He bent and offered his back to her. "Get on."

Kagome resisted but Inuyasha grinned and grabbed her legs, hauling her suddenly onto his back and then standing upright so she couldn't get down with him holding her.

"HEY!" Kagome complained.

"Ouch! The ears, woman, the ears." Inuyasha flicked one of his sensitive furry appendages.

"Sorry. This better?" Kagome whispered next to his ears.

"That's better." He said, then set of down the hallway at a steady jog, which set Kagome protesting again.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU 'BOUT THE EARS!"

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"I think it's this way."

"We went here last time."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"This way then."

"Face it, Inuyasha, we're lost, 5 minutes to the banquet. Honestly, don't you know your own way around the castle?"

"Feh."

"Seriously, I'm as-"

"Shhh!"

Inuyasha shushed her hurriedly and perked up his ears in the direction of the hallway to their left.

"What is it?" Kagome whispered to him.

"Talking… and I smell Naraku and … Sesshoumaru."

Kagome shivered slightly on Inuyasha's back at the mention of Naraku and his hands tightened protectively around her legs. They crept around the corner to peek at the two figures, Prince Sesshoumaru white and pale in the evening light, hardly any of which illuminated the dark hallway, and Naraku, merely a patch of darker shadow, red eyes glinting.

"_You promised me._" Naraku hissed at Sesshoumaru, each word laced with barely concealed malice.

Said Prince replied calmly and stoically in his low voice

"It was no more a promise than a convenient arrangement, Naraku."

"You filthy prince. I, Naraku, will not give up so easily!"

"This Sesshoumaru will not lose to a half-human, a mere hanyou."

"Ha!" Naraku let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "I won't lose to a weakling like you either!"

"I refuse to allow you to use my castle as a slaughterhouse any longer, half youkai."

Kagome shivered again at the word 'slaughterhouse'. Inuyasha set her down gently and let her lean against him, moving her carefully so she was slightly behind him, and if any attack was sent towards them from the direction of Sesshoumaru and Naraku, he would be the one to take the blow. He was almost certain they would smell him, and Kagome too. But surprisingly, the pair kept on arguing.

"Slaughterhouse?" Naraku was scoffing. "My my, Sesshoumaru, you who kills needlessly and ruthlessly. This is merely a small need for me to gain my full potential."

"Then I suggest you find your own lodgings for this need, Naraku."

Naraku spat with rage and his red eyes gleamed dangerously again.

"Fine, you fool, but I warn you, I, Naraku, will _not _give up! The hanyou and miko- both the mikos, in fact, will _die!_ Along with that filthy exterminator and hentai houshi! I will kill them all, without any needed help from you!" And with that final word, he turned and disappeared in a puff of black smoke, the tendrils creeping out disturbingly close to the spying two around the corner, but vanishing as Naraku's presence disappeared entirely, leaving Sesshoumaru standing alone in the hallway like a pale ghost.

"We should go before he smells us." Inuyasha hoisted Kagome onto his back again, and this time they set of silently and without protest.

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They reached the banquet just in time.

Inuyasha walked in, unashamed that he was carrying a girl in strange clothes on his back, and set her down gently on a chair amongst all the stares that were being shot at him. Sesshoumaru was absent from the front table reserved for royalty, which was not unusual as he wasn't supposed to be there. Inuyasha, however, swore silently under his breath as he spotted the empty seat, drawing the conclusion that Sesshoumaru was only in his castle – _his_ castle, mind – to have a secret meeting with Naraku. Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, however, was absent, and _she_ was definitely supposed to be there. Kagome shot a slightly worried glance at the vacant seat, having known that Izayoi was a very sickly woman. Inuyasha, too, seemed slightly nervous about this fact- his mother was always there for him. Kikyou, unruffled as ever, greeted him politely with a smile on her face and let him take the seat next to her. Kagome almost giggled – much to the confusion of Miroku and Sango – when she saw Inuyasha gruffly greeting his wife-to-be.

Dinner proceeded as was expected, with conversation and chattering echoing throughout the hall. Miroku and Sango were trading 'I will kill you' (or in Miroku's case, 'I will grope you') looks in each other's direction. Kikyou was attempting – _attempting_ – to make conversation with a certain grumpy Prince. (In case you were wondering, it was NOT Sesshoumaru). By the looks of it, she was failing dismally. _I suppose he's got too much to worry about…_ Kagome thought absentmindedly while picking at her food. A loud smack startled her out of her reverie and she looked around to see a fuming Sango with her hand hovering just above Miroku's already reddened cheek. She glared daggers at him and he responded with a soppy and almost miserable smile, anticipating what was to come next, bracing himself.

SMACK.

Miroku winced only the smallest bit when Sango's hand connected with his poor cheek once again. This time he complained the moment her palm left his face.

"Sango, you're ruining my complexion!"

Sango snorted in the most unladylike way.

"Complexion!? Gimme a break, hentai."

"Now now, that's just overexxageration… I just happened to brush against you…"

"_I_ don't think so. Why don't you ask all the other girls you've just happened to 'brush against'?"

Miroku looked around anxiously.

"Oh dear, you don't think any of them actually _are_ here, do you?" He paused and put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "Now, there was that maid from the kitchens, but I don't think she would be at a banquet like this…"

Kagome thought Sango would explode with rage, but to her immense surprise, the exterminator simply huffed and turned away, leaving Miroku slightly confused. Like Kagome, he had been expecting another glancing blow to his already tender cheek.

The miko turned her attention away from the drama to her left and looked up to her right side, where the table for the royalty was set out. Her eyes widened fractionally when she spotted the servant scurrying around the edge of the immaculate white tablecloth and coming to a rest at Inuyasha's side. She couldn't see his face, but by Inuyasha's reaction she judged that it was bad news, very bad news. The hanyou prince stood, sending his cutlery crashing to the floor, ignored Kikyou's worried inquiries completely and ran out of the room, leaving a curious and stunned silence behind him. With the same thought in mind, Kagome, Sango and Miroku all stood, pushed their plates away and raced after him. The other people in the great hall started turning to each other with 'what the hell just happened?' looks pasted over their faces. Kikyou stood as well and made a stately exit out of the hall, unlike the other four.

But Kagome was already ahead of her two other friends, the look of Inuyasha's distraught expression as he exited the hall still stuck firmly in her mind.

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_Inuyasha…_

She stood outside the door, hesitating, wondering whether she should disturb him or not. A wince distorted her features as she heard a loud crash from within the room, like something fragile being thrown full force at a wall. Which it probably was. Raising a hand, Kagome knocked softly on the door. There was no answer, but the crashing ceased. She knocked again. Silence. She was certain that Inuyasha's excellent hearing could pick up her knocks without any problem, but nonetheless, she raised her fist and pounded on the door several times again, to no avail.

15 minutes later, she was standing outside the door screaming her head off.

"INUYASHA! I know you're in there! Open the GODDAMN DOOR! I know you can hear me, so if you don't open the door, for goodness sakes I will fetch Sango here to cut your furry little dog ears off with Hiraikotsu! NOW OPEN THE DOOR! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T!"

Kikyou passed by, was about to knock on Inuyasha's door when she saw Kagome outside and decided to leave her be.

Another 15 minutes later she had shouted herself hoarse and had now resolved to sitting with her back against the stupid door, occasionally muttering insults at it and every so often bumping her head against it and managing to rasp out a hollow threat at Inuyasha. She was starting to doubt he was even awake in there, despite all the racket she had been making outside. Just as she was about to stand up and walk, defeated, back to her room, the door opened and she fell backwards, unprepared for her support to suddenly give way behind her. Staring upwards, she found herself looking straight into Inuyasha's face, whereas from the front, back or sides his hair would have shielded it.

All she could say was that he looked a mess.

With the door opened, Inuyasha turned and walked, shoulders slumped, back to his bed where he collapsed upon it and started trying to suffocate himself with a pillow. Or at least that was what it looked like. Kagome scrabbled about for a handhold and pulled herself up to a standing position.

"What happened?" She walked over and whispered it to the distraught prince with the feather pillow over his face.

Inuyasha reacted violently to the question, tearing the pillow from his head and hurling it against the bed head so hard that feathers flew.

"If you want to know, my mother's dead." He said it bluntly, harshly and forced the words out unwillingly. Then he turned away, hiding his face from hers.

_Izayoi??_ Even in a few days, Kagome and Inuyasha's mother had managed to become good friends… and now the lady was dead. Just like that.

"Just like that?" Kagome couldn't help asking.

"What, you want me to describe to you my mother's death throes in the last moment of her life?!" Inuyasha's voice was held back as if he was trying not to shout at her.

"No!" Kagome put a hand on her heart and took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Keh! Don't be, wench."

She looked down and there was an uncomfortable silence.

Then Kagome broke it by stepping forward and wrapping an arm tentatively around Inuyasha's shoulders in a half hug. She was surprised to feel his hand reach up and wrap around her own, squeezing gently. Perhaps she had managed to help him when he most needed it, after all.

That thought comforted her.

Kikyou passed by the door again, but with a glance inside decided, for the second time, to let it be.

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"Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll see."

That had been his response to her question for the past few minutes. Riding on his back, Kagome felt relatively comfortable, but her insides squirmed a bit to think that he shouldn't be carrying her around after spending the last hour or so smashing up his own room. After their awkward half hug, he had warmed up considerably and was now carrying her… somewhere.

Suddenly, the sweet cloying smell of flowers filled the air and Kagome looked below her to see… darkness. But she knew that they were right above the huge meadows that she had seen on her way to the castle. Inuyasha set her down in the dusky darkness amongst a patch of flowers and stood next to her, silent.

"Why'd you… bring me here?" Kagome turned to him, barely able to figure out his expression the darkness of the night.

"The last place I saw my mother." Was his blunt reply.  
"Oh…" _Well that got me stumped for conversation…_

Without warning he scooped her up and carried her to the foot of what looked like a gigantic tree, towering over them.

"The Goshinbuku." He said quietly, breath tickling her ear.

"It's huge."

"Yea…"

He sat down between two giant roots and let her clamber off his lap to rest beside him, though her kept her hand in his own.

"Inuyasha…" She turned to him. "Don't you think we should be getting back…?"

"Kagome…" He looked back at her and she saw the vulnerability, fear and sadness clouding his golden eyes, felt his own hand tightening on hers "Don't leave me."

He said it in such a pleading voice that she almost cried for him, feeling the suffering he must be going through.

"I won't leave you Inuyasha…" She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'll stay by your side…"

"For as long as you need me."

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A/N: Whoopeee! Sorry for the late update guys, I was loaded down with truckloads of schoolwork and the annoying computer problems! Finally finished though!

REVIEW PLEASE! THAT BUTTON IS ONLY INCHES BELOW YOUR MOUSE, TAKE SOME TIME TO PRESS IT AND GIVE ME SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS OR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM! PLEASE!

I will be SO glad if you review.

If not, I'll just be sad.

So you know what to do,

SesshyWesshy.


	9. What If

A/N: Well, so far I have gotten about 2 new reviews for a couple of hundred reads

Disclaimer: No, I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA, but I DO own the A/N below, so PLEASE PLEASE READ IT!

A/N: Well, so far I have gotten about 5 new reviews for a couple of hundred reads. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED! And for the rest who read and didn't review, I would be eternally grateful if you _attempted_ to submit something that _resembles_ a review, in the very least. But oh well… I can make do with what I got

**animerocks23**: You rock! For almost every chapter – actually, I think it was _every _chapter, you've given me fantastic reviews! –Claps and cheers—Thank you so much!

**ChristinaAngel**: Thank you for the review! Always nice to have new people reviewing!

**Animeshy**: Thankee very much for adding me to your author alert list…. Or whatever it is. Can never find the actual words for it.

**Serahrose**: Thank you for reviewing again! You rock too!

**All590**: So glad you enjoyed my story! I'll check out your ficcy and review! Love the exuberant response to this fanfiction

**Falling Angels**: Yo! Yes, yes, I shalt fixes the spelling mistake in this chapter. I wanna write another ficcy, but if I do I'll lose interest in this one FOR SURE… so… no new SessKag ficcy :( so sad, huh? Next ficcy, I promise you. THEN I'll see if I can write a Bleach one! :) Most of my other Bleach fanfics have been:

a) Plain crap or

b) Plain crap.

Enjoy!

Sesshy THE Wesshy – I am the one and only (Thanks to **Falling Angels** for that quote :P)

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Chapter 9

What if…

"Kagome…"

She moaned and rolled over, not wanting to get up. Her hands grasped for her sheets, but found nothing but grass and soil.

"Hmmm?" She murmured in slight confusion, though still determined to sleep on.

"Kagome… get up."

"Mom… not now… few more minutes…" The girl mumbled, turning over the other way in an attempt to dive once again into deep slumber. It struck her sleepy brain as slightly odd that her pillow was… moving, but in her sleep-induced state she cared nothing for what was going on around her, until

"GET OFF MY LAP, WENCH!"

Now that did _not_ sound like her mother.

With a startled shriek Kagome sat bolt upright, eyes wide open (nothing like a good ol' shock to wake you up in the morning, eh?)- to find herself lying in Inuyasha's lap – for the third time to her recollection. He was currently staring down at her with gorgeous gold eyes that did not fit his peeved expression. Unfolding his arms, he started rolling her off his lap with an adamant expression stuck on his face. Kagome, spotting him, started laughing as she saw the determined and almost childish expression adorning his features, landing with a thump on the grass and lying back, giggles subsiding eventually. Presently she popped back up and seated herself beside the hanyou, reaching up to absentmindedly flick one of his ears. He lowered the furry appendages slightly and let out the tiniest of growls, but she knew it was all play. After about two weeks of being together, she already knew that he was secretly fond of the gesture.

"Say…why exactly didn't Sesshoumaru smell us?" Kagome reckoned that the Inu Lord being, full youkai, would have been able to smell them and hear them from a long while away when they had been spying on him last night. After all, Inuyasha could, and he was only hanyou.

"I dunno… probably something in your miko powers shielded us." Inuyasha shrugged and sliced a flower off its stem with his claws.

"Hmmm… but I wasn't using them." Indeed, Kagome hadn't felt anything happening… had she? She seemed to vaguely remember a vague tickling in her fingers, but that was probably from clutching onto Inuyasha's haori for so long.

"How would you know?" Inuyasha frowned at her as a sudden thought occurred to him.

"You could be playing with my ears or something and then accidentally purify them off or something…" His face assumed a slightly worried expression and Kagome wisely refrained from laughing. Inuyasha could be very grumpy at times, and she didn't think that laughing at him would be the best way to comfort him after the untimely death of his mother. He seemed fine, but she thought she could glimpse a flash of grief, like a spot of darkness, in his eyes every once in a while when he looked away from their conversation.

"Anyway…" Kagome said, quite eager to change the subject of their conversation, Inuyasha was beginning to look too serious. On impulse, she picked several flowers and reaching up, tucked them in one swift motion behind his ear. The surprised expression he had when he whipped his head to look round at her, in addition to the flowers drooping from behind his pointy ears made her wish dearly that she had a camera.

A camera from the modern world…

Oh GOD!

Kagome suddenly covered her face with her hands in shock. How could she have forgotten… her own time! She had to get home sometime! Her family and friends must have been going crazy with worry.

"Kagome?" She felt Inuyasha place a hand on her shoulder and heard the worry in his voice.

"Oh shit… Inuyasha… I forgot- I gotta get home!" She answered him in a muffled voice with her hands still over her face.

"Kagome… I…" He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug and she, startled, removed her hands from her face.

"I don't want you to go." She could hear the sincerity in his voice. His arms tightened around her back and waist. "Kagome… I need you. I still need you."

_I'll stay with you… for as long as you need me_.

Kagome could remember saying those words to Inuyasha. She had to keep her promise, no matter what. She couldn't abandon her friends. Haltingly, she returned his hug and spoke, patting his back.

"It's ok, Inuyasha… I'll stay till you don't need me anymore. I just freaked, is all." She pulled back and smiled at him, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Ok?"

"Kagome…" He stared at her with the dead sincerity still in his eyes. "What if…" Breaking eye contact he, looked away and murmured. "What if I said I always needed you? I would always need you?"

Kagome's heartbeat sped up slightly.

"What if…" Inuyasha looked back at her again, and she saw something in his eyes, _something_ that she wasn't sure she wanted to know yet. In her heart of hearts she knew what it was, understood, but her brain just wasn't ready.

So she stalled.

"I'm tired of being serious, Inuyasha!" She gave a fake laugh, and picking up a clump of dirt, threw it at him. The inu hanyou, surprisingly, didn't dodge, and sat there looking very endearing with dirt falling down the sides of his ears. Kagome stood, laughing for real now, and started to run from him as his expression turned from surprise to mild annoyance and amusement, a grin spreading across his features when he jumped up and chased her. Being half youkai, he easily caught up with her on the edge of the field and caught her by the waist, leaping at once into a branch of the Goshinboku.

"Hey! Let me down!"

"Keh. As if, wench."

"Hey! Ka-go-me. Say that again and I'll say the S-I-T word!"

The hanyou paled slightly and glared down at her.

"You idiot." He reached out and started tickling her.

Kagome let out a shriek (which didn't really help poor Yashie's ears, but on with the story ) and started squirming about, though he kept her firmly in his lap. A fall from the height they were currently resting at would probably result in serious injury.

"Inuyasha!" her sides ached from laughing so much. "SI-!"

A clawed hand was clapped over her mouth and she stopped in surprise. Snickering evilly, Inuyasha leant down and told her with a grin

"If you subdue me, I'll bring you down with me!" Just to show her what he meant, his arms tightened fractionally on her arms and legs.

Kagome frowned and started wriggling again, muffled noises emitting from where his hand held her mouth. Then she waggled her eyebrows playfully and Inuyasha snatched his hand off her mouth, uttering various curses.

"AH! You bitch! YOU WERE LICKING MY HAND!"

Kagome threw back her head and laughed, attempting to worm her arms out of Inuyasha's grip. He kept hold of her and suddenly bent his head down next to her neck. Kagome stayed still in confusion for a few seconds until an odd and tickling sensation set her wriggling again.

The sneaky idiot was _licking_ her.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Inuyasha's head shot up so fast that it seemed like it had been slung upwards from a trebuchet (I'm studying the medieval world now in my 7th grade class, so pardon the medieval stuff ). Upon seeing the person intruding upon their private time (How _dare_ he! –Gasp!– :P), he leapt down from the Goshinboku and set Kagome down gently behind him.

"Kouga." He stated shortly, mood dissolving from playful to serious and even angry in a few seconds.

"Inuyasha." The intruder shot back. Long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and wearing furs, Kagome could only stare at his muscular arms and legs. (--drool-- :P Nah, actually, _I _don't think so…). The two rivals regarded each other for a few seconds before Kouga caught sight of Kagome lingering behind Inuyasha, uncertain of the new arrival.

"Who is _this_ fine young lady?" With speed she didn't know he had, the youkai had whipped around a stunned Inuyasha and was grasping Kagome's hands in his.

"K-Kagome." She managed to stutter.

"I am Kouga, a… _friend_… of Inuyasha's. _Prince_ Kouga, too." He beamed expectantly at her, as if expecting her to drop to the ground in awe and kiss his feet. Which if she was any other normal maiden, she probably would have. Kouga was very … popular amongst the young ladies, as was Inuyasha- that was, until most of them heard that he was engaged to Kikyou. Some still remained blindly infatuated.

"You disgusting wolf. Not a chance in hell you're my _friend_." Inuyasha spat, wrinkling his nose. He stared at Kouga. "Why are you moving so damn fast anyway? Last time I saw you, you were about as fast as a snail."

Kouga winked. "Snails, my friend, move fast!" Then, leaning down, he lifted up a leg and Kagome saw two shining pinpricks of light in his ankles.

"What are those?!" She pointed.

"Huh?" Inuyasha, of course, being unable to see the Shikon fragments, spun around trying to find what she was pointing at.

"These, my _friend_, are fragments of the Shikon no Tama! Found 'em lying in a clearing one day, after an… _encounter_ with Naraku, and stuffed 'em into my legs. Quite effective, I must say." He straightened and beamed. Inuyasha, however, had a stunned expression on his face.

"Fragments?" He suddenly stepped closer, reached out and prodded Kouga's ankles. The wolf youkai snatched his foot out of the way, but Inuyasha had already straightened and was serious again.

"The last time I saw the Shikon no Tama… it was whole. How could it shatter?"

"Hmmm…" Kouga rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "When I found them, they smelled of that miko… whatshername, the one you're supposed to marry, dog breath."

"Kikyou." Inuyasha frowned, ignoring the insult. "But Sesshoumaru took the jewel… why would Kikyou's scent be on it?"

"Don't hurt your brain too much by thinking, hanyou. Kagome and I are going to spend some quality time together." With that, the wolf grabbed a surprised Kagome by the hand and started leading her away.

"Why you…" The annoyed hanyou started after them, snatching Kagome from Kouga's grip and placing her behind himself.

"Hey!" Kouga pulled the girl back behind himself.

"No!" Inuyasha grabbed her and pushed her gently behind him again.

"Baka!" Kouga was reaching for the young miko again when she batted away his hand.

"Stop it, both of you! I don't wanna be fought over like a bone!" She held her hands out at both of them, keeping them apart.

"Feh! As if I would fight over you." Inuyasha turned away and folded his arms. Kouga's reaction was quite different.

"But you are bones, Kagome. All flesh and bones…" He reached out to the now slightly disgusted Kagome, and grabbing her hand, licked it gently. She snatched it back with a barely audible growl in his direction and walked away from Kouga, towards Inuyasha.

"Let's go…" She grabbed the surprised hanyou's hand and started leading him away into the depths of the forest.

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XD – **I could stop here… but since I'm so nice I won't, to earn a REVIEW from you guys!**

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" Say… have _you_ seen Inuyasha and Kagome since last night?" Sango asked Miroku curiously from their seats on Inuyasha's bed. (Since he was nowhere to be found, they decided to take advantage of his absence to lounge about in his room.)

"No. Maybe they went away to have some _alone_ time.." Miroku waggled his eyebrows at the youkai exterminator, who clocked him on the head with a fist.

"I'm really worried, you idiot."

"Aww. Don't be, darling." Miroku, sporting a prize lump on his head, reached over and tentatively took her hand. Her other arm lifted instinctively to hit him, and he winced in bitter anticipation, but the blow never came. She put her arm down again and tightened her hand around his fingers, taking comfort from the contact.

Miroku smiled, scooted closer and wrapped the arm around her waist instead, letting go of her hand. Sango seemed too worried to fight against him anymore, and simply leaned into his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. When he attempted to tilt her chin up and lean in for a kiss, however, she snapped.

SMACK!

A poor houshi, beaten out of his wits, was kicked out from the large and very ornate room by a fuming youkai exterminator.

There was an extremely loud scream of "HENTAI!" before the door slammed shut in his face.

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A twig snapped under her foot as she walked, but he ignored it. Like he had ignored the last hundred or so twigs snapping under his feet. If he had been wearing shoes it might have been tolerable, but now it was just getting too darn annoying and he was getting grouchy.

"AARGH!" Inuyasha reached down, scooped up a twig and held it in his clawed hand, screaming at if furiously as if it were alive (and kicking! --Sniggers--).

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT WITH ME, HUH?! WHY!? WHYYYY!?" He shook the twig furiously until it disintegrated into bits and pieces under the ferocious treatment- and his claws.

"Uh… Inuyasha?" he turned from the poor victim of his rage (in other words, the twig) to Kagome and saw her standing stock still and looking at him as if he'd suddenly grown a third ear to accompany his other two. Scratch that, she was staring at him as if he'd suddenly sprouted blue hairs all over his chin. Had he? The now nervous hanyou dropped the pieces of twig and felt his face nervously for any new growths that shouldn't be there. He needn't have.

"Sit."

His face plunged into the dirt and he pulled himself up after a moment, swearing under his breath.

"You idiot!" She rounded on him, an extremely peeved look pasted on her features. "What in the _world_ were you doing?"

Said 'idiot' looked at her blankly.

"Well…" He assumed a thoughtful expression and scratched his chin with a claw. "I was getting grouchy and so I decided to…" He gestured vaguely to the side.

Kagome sighed and walked on.

"Where are we going anyway?" Inuyasha grumbled, reluctantly falling into step beside her.

"Nowhere. I just felt like walking."

"Hmm…"

"Let's play a game."

"A game…?"

"Yea… you ask me 'what if' something happened, then I'll try and answer adequately. Ok?"

"Uh… sure… I guess."

"And you _have_ to tell the truth, 'kay?"

"Okay."

"Sure. What if…"

They started playing, peppering each other with ridiculous questions. Several times Inuyasha tripped over things while thinking about the answer (guys can't multitask, eh?). After a while, he was feeling really grumpy, but they continued asking each other questions in different situations. They rested and walked again, then rested again. Even while sitting, they sat opposite each other and kept on talking.

"What if … I accidentally purified one of your ears off?"

"I couldn't get it back, could I?"

"Nope."

"Oh… then I'd just get really pissed."

"Hah! Your turn."

"What if… somebody told you they loved you?"

"Depends on who…"

"Uh… somebody you just met a while ago."

"Still depends on their character…"

"Well… you're friends…"

"Uh-huh… well…"

She looked up at him to find him sitting with that oddly sincere expression on his face once more. Her heart fluttered just the tiniest bit.

"Well?" he questioned her.

"Yeah.. it still depends."

"On what?"

"_Who_ they are, for one?"

"Well… somebody who's already supposed to marry somebody else they don't love… somebody of a higher ranking than you but doesn't care about that."

"Stop talking in 'somebody's! Just say a name, already, Inuyasha, or I'll S-I-T you." She spelled it out clearly.

"Well… you're you, of course. And he's…"

"He's?"

She could feel her heart rate increasing… _Oh god. What's he gonna say_?

"He's…" Inuyasha seemed to need great effort to finish the sentence.

"He's a prince." He finished finally, unable to say any names.

"So. He's a prince, a friend of mine who's supposed to marry somebody else but doesn't want to, and he doesn't really care about his ranking either. And he loves me."

"Yes."

"Does he have long hair?"

"Y-yes."

"White?"

"Sure."  
"Yes or no, Inuyasha?"

"Yes."

"Ears?"

"Everybody has ears, Kagome."

"No, cute little dog ears!" She reached up and flicked one of his. He grabbed her hand before she could pull it back and stared into her eyes.

"I need an answer."

"I'd probably tell him.."

Kagome swallowed, a huge lump seemed to have gathered in her throat.

"I'd probably tell him _I love him too_." She finished and looked down, feeling her own face reddening and heating up.

He smirked and before he could stop himself, he had pressed his lips against hers.

_I want these gentle hands… I want this kind smile._

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A/N: MUHAHAH! I have _finally_ inputted this… I must say, I DID NOT enjoy writing it… but oh well, as long as the readers like it!

And for those of you who've read Vampire Knight, I am currently obsessed with it and I used a quote from it as the last sentence for this chapter.

PLEASE REVIEW! Please just make an effort to do so.

Sesshy THE Wesshy – I am STILL the one and only. –Laughs unemotionally–

XDXDXD


	10. Devotion

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, so drop that sledgehammer and leave me be to write the next chapter of my fanfiction.

A/N:

Oh dear. I haven't updated in… let's just say in a long _long_ time. Or at least it seems that way to me…

So first and foremost, I will apologize.

I'M SORRY!!

Then I will furiously defend myself with various reasons as to exactly _why_ I couldn't write.

You see, I was been pelted with lots of assignments and homework. There are these times when I am overwhelmed, absolutely OVERWHELMED with work, and lately those have been getting more frequent and closer together. So, as you could understand, I was drowning.

AND one of my best friends left for Japan and I got very very sad and depressed and wrote about a gazillion long emails to her detailing many different things that happened at school, not to mention all those OTHER emails to my cousin that SHE DIDN'T REPLY TO! –Ahem—worry not, though, dearest Booya. Your reasons for not replying were the same as my reasons for not updating.

So please forgive me if I find that I value my homework and future more than a fanfiction. I am one of the few who actually cares about their marks.

Of course, I also think school and homework are an absolute waste of time… but aaah, nobody values my teeny opinion in my oh-so-screwed-up middle school. Oh well.

:P Now to the review answers. Sorry guys, because it's been a long time these answers are either out of date or they don't make sense or something… but I like them anyway. Besides, they show my extreme gratitude.

**ChristinaAngel**: Thank you! I don't like KouKag either (probably why I made him so… odd) Thanks for the review! Again! And that's the whole point, he's marrying Kikyou! That's the glitch. Well, apart from the fact that Naraku wants to kill everyone…

**Clouds of the Sky**: Thankee! I'm actually fine with both Kaname and Yuki and Zero and Yuki, but Zero and Yuki is definitely the one that I am more partial to! :) But YukiKaname are cute together, you havva to admit VK rules, BUT NEVER AS MUCH AS BLEACH! – Runs away laughing – Thanks for the review anyway!

**animerocks23**: Thank you for the review! I like to update soon as well.. though I was a bit nervous writing this chapter because as you know, my romance sucks. Oh well

**serahrose**: Thanks for the review! Oh yes, and I did like the idea about Kagome purifying off Inuyasha's ears too :) . Maybe I'll put that as the plot of one of my later fics XD

**Black-Wolf Fox**: I give you thanks for the fav AND alert! Now if you would only review as well… :P

**Aizlynn**: Deeply indebted to you for alerting. Now if you would only review as well too :)

**Silver and Gold Make Bronze**: Thanks for the review! I am flattered. :)

**all590**: Thanks for the review! Glad you liked it…

Now, for those of you who want the nitty gritty details of the romantic scenes, sorry but I ain't gonna give them because I'd probably have to duck away every few minutes to throw up into the bin at my own cheesy lines. Yes, to say it simply, I SUCK AT WRITING THOSE. Not that I've ever tried. It's just something you know automatically

ENJOY!

AND REVIEW EVERYBODY! REVIEW! I will love you forever… and if you review enough I might just dedicate a fic to you!

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Chapter 10

Devotion

If her heart had been beating fast when he had confessed to her, then it was going at the speed of light right now.

He had leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, at the same time crushing her to him in an intimate hug. Hugging him back, she returned the favour and, needless to say, the next few minutes were quite enjoyable. (If you guys REALLY want the details, just imagine it yourselves.)

When they finally broke apart, she could feel nothing but bliss on her mind, but a few minutes later when they sat in silence, comfortable in each others presence, a thought popped into her mind that disturbed her deeply.

Shifting her position in his lap so that she sat facing him, she asked

"What about Kikyou?"

Inuyasha looked up at her and hugged her close.

"I'll just have to find a way not to marry her."

"But then what'll happen to you and your kingdom?"

"I… I can't marry her. I don't care. I'll marry you instead."

"But Inuyasha, I have to get home." She reminded him as gently as she dared.

"I told you. I need you. I'd die if you left."

"You were fine before I came." She stroked his head gently.

"Keh. I didn't know you then, Kagome."

"Glad you're calling me by my name now." She smiled softly.

He grinned back.

"Well, some things have to change eventually, don't they?" He planted a kiss on her forehead, then pulled back, looking serious. "Except for you leaving."

"I… we'll figure something out." Kagome leaned back into his embrace, discarding her worries as she felt him hug her again.

_We'll work it all out in the end, Inuyasha._

_You don't know how much I need you too_.

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"So? What happened?" Miroku was on his feet and demanding answers the moment he spotted Inuyasha and Kagome walking back into the clearing with linked hands.

"Ooooh…" His eyes flicked to their hands and then their smiling faces (Oh my god! Inuyasha smiling?! –faints— :P) and then turned to Sango with a triumphant expression, screaming. "I TOLD YOU SO!" He then burst into laughter and started running around the room like a crazed man.

Sango, on the other hand, smiled gently at them and asked "So, when's the wedding?" with a small giggle. Then she thought of the same thing that Kagome had before and gasped, putting up a hand to cover her mouth.

"What about Kikyou?"

"Bah, whaddabout Kikyou?" Inuyasha wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulder. "We'll find a way."

"I don't know…" Sango thought of all the complications- like the fact that Kagome came from ANOTHER FRIGGIN TIME!

Inuyasha, however, seemed to have made up his mind to be positive for the day. He grinned at them and said simply.

"We'll find a way."

To Kagome, it seemed adorable the way he was so positive. To Sango, whose mind wasn't overcome with love, it seemed that the hanyou was trying to deny something inevitable, until he could put it off any longer.

Which of course, he was.

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The next banquet with Kikyou was awkward. Inuyasha sat at the table sending longing glances at Kagome that stated plainly that he would rather be with her. Kikyou attempted to make conversation but each time he answered with short, terse responses that didn't encourage her. The food was delicious (oh how Miroku stuffed on it! :P) but Inuyasha didn't taste much of it. He was spending too much time wondering what he would do when the time came that Kagome had to go back to her own time, and when he had to marry Kikyou.

Finishing his meal, he pushed back his chair and gave a small nod of his head to the rest of the people at the royal table, then exited into the hallway without glancing to his side. Kagome was about to stand up and follow him, but she felt an arm on her shoulder. It was Sango.

"Leave him alone. Thinking always hurts his head. He obviously needs to-" Without a change of expression, she swung one hand round to clock Miroku on the side of the face so hard that spit flew. He did seem to have the worst timing.

"- He obviously needs to think something out good and proper. For that he always goes to the cellar." She gave Kagome a meaningful look.

Said girl nodded and sat back down to wait.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was walking briskly along the hallway, the air quickly becoming colder as he descended deeper down into the depths of the castle where the cellar was located. Despite the fact that it was a wine cellar, the only thing he did in there was sit and think. He always found that sake meddled with his brain. Furrowing his brow he leaned against a barrel, nose twitching as the enticing smell floated towards him, but he ignored it and soon fell into a deep trance of thought.

It was then that Sesshoumaru burst into the room, laughing (for once) and pulling with him a young female youkai that Inuyasha knew to be Kagura, princess from one of the rivalling kingdoms. She was probably here because the marriage between Kikyou and himself was supposed to 'keep peace' with the rest of the kingdoms for an extended period of time. Personally, he thought it was a load of useless bollocks, but … he had no control over his parent's treaties.

Sudden inspiration hit him and he forgot all about the intruders on his private thinking time (who were now glaring icily at him, all thoughts of 'being alone' forgotten). His parents were dead… grief and fright had caused him to deny the death of his mother. She had taken care of him when he was young, comforted him in his distraught state when his father had gone away with the shikon no tama. Little had he known then how many tears she had shed herself in those early days. He had not been able to bring himself to believe that she was gone. Now, however, for his love, he accepted the fact.

His deceased parents would obviously have left the rule of the country to him. He could easily demolish the whole treaty; erase it, even if it meant war. The problem, however, was convincing the other kingdoms to demolish the treaty as well. It had already been signed and sealed. The other leaders had latched onto it immediately and signed it greedily, eager for any chance to stop the frequent battles between the different areas. Perhaps with this they could replenish troops, nurse their losses and then perhaps band together, launch full-scale attack on a certain kingdom, wipe it out and then have more land for themselves. It was all about power. Ultimate power. There were 4 different kingdoms, and in the end there might only be one, emerging from the ruins of the others.

Inuyasha was jolted from his plans and ideas by a rough hand lifting him by the scruff of the neck and tossing him like a rag doll out of the cellar. He had no doubt it was Sesshoumaru, but for once did not retaliate, simply dusted himself off and walked away, whistling happily. Sesshoumaru stared dumbly after him for a moment, having been expecting (and perhaps hoping for) a fight, but then shrugged and closed the door behind him, turning around to face Kagura as he did so. The bolt was drawn shut behind them.

In the hallway he ambushed a random servant and barked at him to call an immediate meeting of the heads of the 4 kingdoms, Naraku of the Dark areas far north, Kikyou from the land of the Mikos – she had to attend since her parents had both passed away as well. There was also Kouga of the Wolf Tribes and of course, Inuyasha himself of the Inu-Youkai lands.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha wasn't too experienced with using the formal language of the royalty. Having spent his tutoring lessons when he was young playing truant, he simply stood nervously at the large Council table, fiddling with the hem of his haori.

"So… uh. Yes, I've called this meeting because… you know that treaty that y'all signed? Well, I want it destroyed. Burnt, pounded, whatever." Inuyasha gave a small hopeful grin to the three other currently stunned-looking leaders in front of him.

"WHAT?!" Kouga was on his feet in a split second (thanks to the shikon fragments) and arguing.

"You can't just destroy it like that, mutt! It was meant to keep peace! And what the _hell_ is going to happen to the peace-keeping marriage?!" He howled, clinging on the remnants of chances that he would be able to build up a large army in the time of peace. Large enough to wipe out the Inu-Youkais.

"Well, too bad. My lands started it, my lands finishes it. As for the marriage, no peace, no peace keeping marriage, stupid wolf. I'd thought you were smarter than that." Inuyasha said dryly.

Kouga growled and snarled, but for once the hanyou ignored him. He had more important things on his mind right now.

"So, waddya say?" he beamed at the two stony faced people sitting to his right and opposite him, Kikyou and Naraku.

"This is… this is… ABSOLUTE SHIT!" Naraku lost all self-control. Obviously he had been plotting and planning- Inuyasha and Kagome had probably heard only a small fraction of his horrible plans for the lands around him, namely, all of them.

"You stupid hanyou! You think that just because your stupid parents kicked the bucket and left the lands in your idiotic paws that you can just annul a royal treaty that ALL of us signed and agreed to! May the flies feed on your rotting flesh when I'm done with you!" He screamed, small spikes starting to push up through the flesh of his arms as he grew more and more enraged.

"Yes." Inuyasha said loudly and bluntly. "And put away those spikes, Naraku. It's bad enough that you frikkin attack me _in my own lands_ and hurt my friends, but to attack me during a Council. That'll get you killed. Oh and remember, you're a 'filthy' hanyou too…"

He couldn't resist this last jibe. It sent Naraku squirming with rage, though he had hidden the spikes on his arms because attacking the inu-hanyou now would mean certain death, especially with a miko, a wolf and a dog around him.

It was then that Kikyou spoke up in her soft but clear voice.

"A royal treaty is hard to get rid of, but should Inuyasha-sama know the rules then he could do it properly because after all, it was the leaders of this very land who started it. The marriage would be cancelled and we would continue to go to war with each other. I would rather this didn't happen, though."

She stared at Inuyasha. He huffed.

"Whatever, wench. If I can get my hands on it, I can get rid of it. Where is it?"

The other three stared at him silently until Kouga spoke.  
"For once in your life, you make sense, mutt. Where is that treaty?"

"I do not know." Came from Kikyou, which surprised the rest. She usually knew everything. "The Inu King and Queen did not entrust me with information of the whereabouts of the treaty."

"If she doesn't know, I can't know, can I?" Naraku huffed angrily. It was true, he was a sly trickster and none of the leaders trusted him fully. Actually, none of the leaders trusted _each other_ fully either, but he was the most suspicious of them.

Inuyasha felt like banging his head against the table. All this thinking was hurting his head. Now he had to think some more about where the hell the stupid treaty was. It wasn't likely to be kept under his parents mattress or anything… Where could it be?

He groaned and finished the meeting by staggering out of the meeting room (who could blame him? A good dose of Naraku and Kikyou-ness mixed together with a bit of Kouga thrown in was enough to give him a whopper of a headache :P) and walked back into the great hall.

Sitting down next to Kagome, he neglected to mention the whole ordeal to her, instead preferring to refrain from speaking and also attempting to avoid dubious glances being shot at him from the royal table, and especially malicious glares from Naraku.

He vowed not to venture out of the castle in the next few days.

Who knew devotion could be so troublesome?

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YES! Finally I am DONE! YES! And on a school night too! OH MY GOD, THANK THE HEAVENS THAT THE SUMMER HOLIDAY IS NEARLY HERE! After _two and a half months_ (long, eh? Because of the Olympics, it is. – Yes, I _am_ in Beijing.) of summer holiday, I will be back at school and in 8th grade! Can't say I'm looking forward to it though…

Oh well.

I think this was one of the hardest chapters to write because of all the … political stuff that I am not too keen on :P But it's vital to the plot. I'll try to put more humour/romance and interesting stuff next chapter, ok?

In the meantime,

PLEASE REVIEW, GUYS!

There's a little purple button at the bottom of the page…

You know you want to press it and write something nice about my fanfic…

You know you want to…

Your fingers just itching to click on it, just itching to type a compliment…

Come on!

JUST PRESS THE GODDAMN BUTTON, FOR GOODNESS SAKES!

:)


	11. Capture

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING! Not even Inuyasha … --sniffle--

A/N:

SOooo! Hi guys! I've tried to update sooner than last time because some of you (or rather, ONE of you :D) were a bit miffed.

I'm currently writing this in math class because of boredom and lack of things to do—it's nearly the summer holidays so there's no reason for us to do much work :D most of us are actually just playing games.

Anyways, I was overjoyed that OVERNIGHT I got five reviews. That's quite an achievement for me. I hope that I can start my next story to get that many reviews too :D I'll try.

Since I have nothing else to write right now, just a tiny bit on my next story—it's a sesskag fanfic and it includes ice-skating. Lots and lots of ice-skating. It'll probably come out soon after I finish this one (I can't wait to start it.)

**animerocks23**: Wow. One of your all time favourite stories, huh? I feel privileged to have such happy reviewers :P

**Clouds of the Sky**: Your reviews are so hilarious, seriously. I swear. Do that some more and I'm gonna dedicate a fanfiction to you because your reviews are too funny :P. I thought my _inspiration_ had fallen off the face of the earth and got stuck in space but thennn… I found out the earth was round, so it came back to me eventually! :D

**SpiritGoddessTamiko**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it. I'm not such a keen writer for romance but in my eyes, its about the only thing I can write about for Inuyasha so… yeah :P Thanks for the fav and the alert as well :)

**all590**: This thing, dear confused reviewer, is an answer to your review. I am thanking you for your review. OK? :D thanks for the review!

**serahrose**: I had to stop myself from smiling like a madman (or madwoman) in math class (yes, I checked my reviews in class :P Guilty me.) when I read your review. So happy you think it's 'Frickin' Fabulous', as you so delicately put it. I actually think the character I enjoy writing about the most is Miroku. He's just so happy and funny… but he has his serious times too, like when… oh never mind. You'll find out :D HAHA!

**ChristinaAngel**: Thanks for the review! Don't worry, I love long reviews :) . Kikyou hasn't been ridden of entirely, mind you… she's still there and all… and Naraku is pissed so it's guaranteed things won't go as smoothly as Inuyasha wants them to! I love putting humour in my stories, so glad you enjoyed it! MUHAHAH I have a long summer holiday because I live in Beijing and the Olympics are coming so it's been _EXTENDED!_ YAY! I'm a happy happy person right about now :D

**Waterjasminewolf14**: Thanks for the fav! Please review too :D it would make me really happy.

**MaC Of The Flies**: Thanks for the alert!

**R.S.A**: Thanks for the fav!

Once again, thanks to you guys I am beaming wildly in math – my friends are kinda confused XD – and I have a little candle flame lighting up this swampy sea of idiocy that I am currently sitting in – AKA my classroom…

And so I start the actual story :)

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Chapter 11

Capture

"Inuyasha?"

Kagome tried tentatively to get the grumpy hanyou out of his room.

"Are you there? Can I come in?" She tapped lightly on the door with her fingernails.

"No."

Came the blunt reply. Inuyasha was sitting on his bed with his back to the door, a chair and several tables propped up against it to barricade the entrance. He wasn't risking even _one_ lustrous hair on his head by going out of the castle. If Naraku had swore during a royal council, he had to be mighty pissed. Perhaps it had something to do with what he and Kagome had overheard before that other banquet. Shaking his head, he resolved not to think for the next few days. He always found that it gave him a headache.

Sango came along to find Kagome standing forlornly outside the room door, a frown pasted on her face.

"Don't look like that." She placed a hand gently on her friends shoulder.

"I'll get him out for you."

Kagome turned to smile at her friend.

"Thanks Sango, but that won't be ne- NO! _Don't do that!_"

Sango had unstrapped Hiraikotsu from her back and was now hammering fiercely on the door with it.

"Get-out-of-the-damn-room!" She growled through gritted teeth.

Kagome stood by silently, grinning at her friend's antics.

Inuyasha reclined on his four-poster bed within the room, shooting a slightly worried glance at the door, which was now shuddering badly under Sango's oh-so-tender ministrations.

"Stop it!" He whined at her, getting off the bed and walking towards the door.

"Waiiit…" She called back.

Inuyasha stopped in front of the door. He had the feeling that something bad was about to happen. To him.

There was an enormous crash and the door fell inwards, crushing Inuyasha under the various dressers and tables, not to mention the various planks of wood that used to be a door.

Sango stepped through, observing her handiwork. She nodded appreciatively and beckoned for Kagome to come through. Both of them strode across the wreckage, making sure to step extra hard on the wriggling hand that protruded from the rubble.

"Well," Sango said in a loud voice, "It looks like he isn't in here."

Muffled protests came from below the ruins of the door and several drawers.

"Yes," Kagome replied, catching on. "That idiot has left."

Inuyasha burst out of the rubble.

"Damn you!" He used his teeth to pull several small splinters out of his hands. "Can't you leave me in peace for a couple of freakin hours?"

Kagome smiled sweetly, then she and Sango replied in unison:

"Nope."

Inuyasha growled, but, nevertheless, got up and starting brushing himself off. Spending too much time sitting on the floor surrounded by big, broken furniture wasn't too good for him, he was sure. He was very cautious as to what was good for him since the royal council three days ago, when Naraku had gotten royally pissed and nearly attacked him then and there. Other than that, he was his normal old grumpy self.

"Why don't we go out for a walk or something, Inuyasha?" Kagome took his hand in hers. "You haven't been out for a while…. Since the council, actually."

"Uh… no thanks." Inuyasha grinned sheepishly.

"Why not?" Kagome frowned.

"Well, see, I've –uh– been … eh… having –erm- allergic reactions…? To the sun? Maybe? Yes, that's it." He speculated. He was prone to thinking aloud, since his brain wasn't as … complex as certain other peoples. (Mine, for example – cackles loudly – :P)

Kagome frowned.

"You know, I've got the _oddest_ feeling that you're not telling the truth." She tugged on one of his ears and he let out the hint of a growl. "Tell me the truth."

"Well, Naraku was practically screaming bloody murder at the council, so I reckoned I should keep safe for the next few days." He told her.

To his surprise, she laughed.

"What's Naraku gonna do? Attack you in broad daylight? In front of your own castle?"

"No. Attack _you_. And he's done it before. He'll use you as a hostage, as leverage. I don't wanna lose you." He pulled her a bit closer and they started walking out of the room.

She blushed, touched that he thought of her.

"Well," She assured him, "This time if anything happens to me I'll take responsibility, ok?" She smiled playfully, and he couldn't help but grin back.

"I'll hold you to that." He leaned in and pecked her on the lips, smiling into the kiss. He'd actually been dying to get outside.

They walked out of the gates together.

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Some minutes later, Inuyasha and Kagome were walking through the field and into the forest where they had confessed their love for one another. Inuyasha had carried Kagome and ran there, then she had dismounted and they had continued their walk, hands entwined. Companionable silence was between them as they sidestepped a small mound of dirt and walked on into the cool shade of the trees. It was refreshing to be outside after three days of being cooped within the castle, and Inuyasha was determined to prolong it as long as possible.

"Having trouble?" He asked Kagome as she tripped over a tree root for the second time since they entered the forest about… 5 seconds ago.

"No." She replied bluntly before almost falling flat on her face again, the only thing keeping her upright being Inuyasha's hand in her own. He stifled a snicker and let go of her hand to scoop her up, bridal style.

"Oi!" She made a small noise of protest before relaxing in his arms, though she still muttered: "I can walk by myself, you know."

"Not likely." He murmured back at her.

She smiled and started playing with his hair. Inuyasha ignored this for a while before he looked down to see how she was doing and found himself staring at… a _braid._ He yelped and set her down before spinning around wildly in an attempt to see his own hair. It wasn't too hard, seeing as it was long and (for now), braided.

"You _braided _my hair!?" He bellowed, catching hold of the braid in his claws and undoing it with several swift tugs.

Kagome giggled.

"Yeah, is there anything wrong with that?" She smiled again as he shot a glare that was pure venom at her. She had never known that his hair was such a sensitive subject. Perhaps…

"Imagine dying it…" She began, almost bursting out laughing at the thought of his reaction. "Dying all your silver hair a lovely… hot pink."

Inuyasha nearly tripped up and fell on his face at the words 'hot pink'.

Kagome laughed and continued.

"No… not only hot pink. But the top part of your hair would be sky blue, and the bottom, hot pink and green. The brightest green ever." She doubled over laughing at the expression of horror on Inuyasha's face and the image in her brain of Inuyasha with that eccentric hairstyle.

"If I did that, you'd have to agree to dye _your_ hair bright orange on the top, and red and neon yellow at the bottom." He said, smiling smugly. The colour would clash horribly, and she would definitely hate it.

Kagome gasped.

"Oh no, but then we'd have to changed your hairstyle to match mine, because we're doing this together!" She said in mock horror.

Inuyasha's ears drooped but then he cackled again as another idea came to mind.

"Then if we both had that hairstyle, wouldn't we have to dress in the same clothes? I know what I'd choose. My usual ones, of course." He smiled, pointing to his red outfit.

Kagome grinned slyly.

"Ooh, but then _I'd _wear a pink miniskirt and a tube top." She started laughing wildly, imaging Inuyasha in that outfit.

"But dominant male rules over all!" he waggled his finger at her disapprovingly, though the grin on his face showed that he was truly amused.

"Girl power!" Kagome shook her fist in the air.

"Man power!" He said, chuckling. "Pardon the pun."

"Ooooh, you sly dawg!" She hissed, putting on an accent.

"Ooooh, you … weird fairy person!" He retorted. Then, putting on a high girly accent, he imitated her in a singsong voice: "Ooooh, you sly dawg! Girl power! Girl power for all!"

"That's it!" Kagome launched herself at him, and, catching him by surprise, managed to knock him over. Unfortunately, they had been walking up a gentle incline, and, naturally, when two people fall on a hill, they start to roll. Downwards.

And roll they did.

They rolled quite a bit until Inuyasha broke it by slamming into a tree trunk.

He and Kagome lay there for a while, sharing glances that were followed soon after by bouts of hyper laughter as they recalled their playful banter. After a while, Kagome suggested that they get back to the castle because they had already been out for quite a while and Sango was bound to start worrying eventually.

"Tch, that Sango. She'd even worry about Miroku getting lost in the kitchens." Inuyasha smiled slightly at the thought. (Sango pacing outside the kitchen. "Omg, will he be alright in there?" :D) They were walking back in the direction of the castle.

"Actually, she'd probably worry more than you think." Kagome replied, smiling. Inuyasha was always a bit dim when coming to the emotions of others, and sometimes even himself.

"Eh, waddya mean?" As she predicted, the prince looked at her inquiringly, innocence shining out of his eyes. (Okay, now I'm getting slightly carried away :P)

"You'd think anybody else would notice." Kagome goaded him.

"What?" he whined, pushing her to tell him.

"Well…" She started slowly, smiling with an annoyingly knowing look on her face. "It seems to me that Miroku and Sango are more fond of each other than just friendship." She grinned at Inuyasha, who snorted in disbelief.

"Those two? No way! Sango's always slapping him for groping her and after all, Miroku's always going after other girls…" he trailed off with a thoughtful expression. "But come to think of it, I haven't caught Miroku with another girl for a long time. Either he's become more careful, which is impossible… or…"

Kagome smiled smugly.

"I'm looking forward to knowing exactly what they were actually doing when they'd stumbled on the food for the banquet and gotten us all chased by the crazy knife-wielding, tomato chopping Kaede." She squeezed Inuyasha's hand and they continued walking on the well trodden path towards the castle, which was already coming into sight.

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Inuyasha and Kagome entered the castle to sounds of raucous laughter coming from several floors above them. Tiptoeing up and peering in through the doorway, they saw Miroku and Sango sitting on Inuyasha's bed, hopelessly drunk.

They each clutched one bottle of sake, and several more bottles of the same kind already littered the floor of the prince's room. Sango was leaning up against one post of the four-poster bed and Miroku was slouching against one of the pillows at the head of the bed. They appeared to be having a grand time.

"Hey… YASHA!" Miroku saluted the hanyou. "Haha, you'll never believe how funny the joke Sango told me was…" He waved his bottle of sake around to emphasize his point. "A… A flying pig…" The rest of the joke was lost to Inuyasha and Kagome as Sango and Miroku dissolved into (puddles! Naaah :D) giggles at their own 'joke'.

"Leave these nutters alone and they'll do anything." Inuyasha muttered and walked out of the room in a huff. They had probably spilt sake all over his nice carpet, he thought angrily, leaving Kagome to deal with the two babbling idiots in the room.

"Uh… Sango, would you like to come to the hot springs with me?" Kagome asked her friend. "We could both use a bath."

"Yeaaaaah…." Sango yawned. "Good idea." She stood up and began to walk out of the room with Kagome. Miroku started to follow them, trailing behind. Sango whipped around and narrowed her bloodshot eyes at him.

"You." She snapped. Miroku whimpered. "Stay." She commanded, as if to a puppy. It seemed to have no affect whatsoever, as he still walked after them, whining softly. In the end, Sango took Hiraikotsu and gave him a sound banging on the head before leaving him in a pile in the hallway and heading off to the hotsprings.

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"Aaah… there's nothing like a good bath." Sango smiled at her friend, having been refreshed and less drunken since getting into the water.

"Yes…" Kagome readily agreed. It also gave her a chance to get away from the castle, which was forever stuffy. Bad ventilation, she thought, smiling softly to herself. She could already feel the tension in her melting away as the hot water lapped at her shoulders where she sat. They both had towels wrapped around themselves and tied in so they didn't have to use their hands, but they were still sitting in the water. It was certainly very comfortable.

A few seconds later, her happy thoughts were shattered as several green vines flew out through the bushes.

Naraku.

Sango was up and grabbing for Hiraikotsu in moments, managing to bat away several vines before 5 more grabbed, restrained and gagged her, then plunged her into the water and held her there. Kagome, meanwhile, had shot a huge clump of vines that were shooting towards her, and was now severing the ones that held Sango. Her arrow finally purified the last one, and the exterminator shot up out of the water, shrieking bloody murder and swinging Hiraikotsu like a mad woman. This technique proved oddly useful, however, and they managed to hold off Naraku for about a minute until, as they were gradually tiring of swinging at vines every which way, their opponent managed to shoot a vine so that it hit Kagome's arm and left a gash in her skin.

Moments later, she felt dizzy, swayed, lost the struggle to stay conscious and collapsed. Several vines caught her before she could hit the water and lifted her away. Sango, filled with new strength from anger after watching her friend being hurt and possibly poisoned, swung at the vines with a fury, throwing Hirakotsu and severing the holds on Kagome until Naraku seemed to have enough. He emerged out of the bushes and sent a whole barrage of what had to be 30 or more vines at the woman. They swarmed around her and dunked her under the water, holding her there until the bubbles gradually grew less and less, though they didn't cease entirely.

Then he left, with Kagome.

Back at the castle, Inuyasha had only had to utter the words"I smell Naraku." to sober Miroku up. They both took off in the direction of the hot springs.

Upon reaching the springs, they burst into the clearing and felt a feeling of dread slowly creep over them as they took in the scene, bites of severed vines littering the ground, Hiraikotsu floating on the surface of the springs…

Miroku ran forward and plunged into the springs to pull up an unconscious Sango, still wrapped in a towel, from below the surface of the water. She had no wounds but several angry looking dark bruises, as Naraku had been intent of suffocating, not poisoning her. He carried her to the bank, his face serious and no sign of the usual humour in his eyes. Placing his ear to her chest he listened for a heartbeat, relief flooding his expression when he found a faint but still existent one. Inuyasha would have been almost surprised from the lack of groping had he not been tearing the surrounding forest apart searching for Kagome.

"Wake up." Miroku whispered in her ear, then said it louder. He closed his eyes and held her head to his chest for a moment, cradling her gently in his lap. Then he lowered his mouth to hers and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, hoping with every breath that she would awaken. Her eyes stayed close, but he thought he heard her take a shallow breath. Cupping her face in his hands, he did it again, then again, and Inuyasha stopped for a moment to watch his friend. He'd never seen Miroku looking so torn before. Kagome was gone now, he was sure of it. Her scent still lingered, but it was already stale. She had been gone only about a minute before they arrived, and he cursed himself for not coming sooner.

Sango awoke coughing water out of her lungs, and Miroku was so overjoyed that he forgot Kagome was missing, forgot everything and pressed his mouth to hers, though this time it was not to breath air into her lungs. To his utmost surprise and joy, she responded just as warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back fiercely. After a few seconds they broke apart and Sango choked out.

"Kagome's gone."

"I figured." Inuyasha stepped into view, pain evident in his golden eyes. "Naraku…" He whispered, and the exterminator nodded, feeling guilty.

"I wasn't able to stop him…" She murmured, then blinked as she felt a tear roll down the side of her face. Stammering out an apology, she buried her face in Miroku's shirt and cried. Miroku, in turn, placed one hand on her back and the other on Inuyasha's arm, giving him as much comfort as he could.

Together, they stood in the clearing where they had last seen their friend.

But 15 minutes later, they were ready to go.

"I'll split his head open." Sango vowed. And it was definitely a promise she was about to keep.

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A/N: MUHAHAH so the three set out to find little Kagome cuz she got poisoned and taken away. How lovely. I just love scenes like this :P

Once again, PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

And thanks for reading! :D

PS: I finished this chapter at 2 AM in Bejing time, so make sure you review otherwise it'll all be for NOTHING!

You know you wanna press that button.


	12. Bad Situations

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. I'd own Sesshoumaru, if I could, but sadly, it's not possible :P Oh no, and I don't own the manga, either.

A/N: AAAH! SORRY SORRY SORRY! I was utterly busy with something called HOLIDAYS! I couldn't be bothered to write. For the first time, this was all my fault. Well, and my brother's. He wouldn't stop annoying me. :)

**Clouds of the Sky:** HAHA. No, I'm not a world clock... SOOOO far from it. I have no idea what time it is anywhere else except Beijing and Singapore. BECAUSE THE TIME IS THE SAME THERE! Incidentally, I STAY in Beijing, so... you would reckon I should know the time. I'm a girl. I'm from Singapore. I'm not telling you anymore because 'YOU'RE A STRANGER!' :D HAHAHAHAHHAHA of course I'm kidding. I'll begone now.

CHECK OUT MY NEW FANFIC – It's called 'All A Matter of Taste' and it's DEDICATED TO YOU. :)

**animerocks23:** Thank YOU so much for writing that review! I loved it very much and it brightened my dreary day! :D My 'terrific skills' aren't that terrific, actually… according to my mean brother :P

**serahrose: **Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter.

**AnimeNerd1:** Thanks for the alert! I myself prefer reviews… but… every little bit makes me swell with joy :P

And so I start another chapter to my story…

Enjoy.

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Chapter 12

Bad Situations

Her first coherent thought. '_It doesn't smell so hot in here._'

Her second coherent thought. '_What the hell did I just think?_'

And her third coherent thought was accompanied by a loud shriek as she sat upright quickly, remembering her encounter with Naraku.

Argh. Sitting upright. Quickly. Not.A.Good.Idea.

Her head pounded and she instantly felt dizzy, slumping back against the wall she hadn't even been aware of until now. It was damp and cold against her back, but she relished the feeling. It refreshed her. Her brain quickly rebooted itself and started analyzing the things around her.

Right. It was a stone cell, rivulets of water running down the wall in one corner. The floor was dank and cold, but she saw that she was sitting on a rough blanket. A plate of food was sitting near her, with a crude fork next to it. All in all, it was a pretty dank and primitive place.

She heard a noise and her brain coaxed her head to turn in the direction of it. What she saw there made her jump abruptly, banging her head against the wall behind her.

"Owie…" She winced.

"Are you _alright?_" Naraku asked with mock concern lacing his voice, a cynical grin on his lips. Yes. Naraku. In there. With her.

NOT GOOD.

At least that was what her brain told her. She decided she didn't want to trust it right now. After all, hadn't it made her jump with shock, and sit upright much, _much_ too quickly?

"That's right." She lectured it absentmindedly, tapping her forehead. "You have _no_ right to tell _me_ what to do. It's all _your_ fault anyway. Gosh. Don't blame _me, _and don't make _me_ make it up for _your_ problems."

Naraku stared at the miko babbling into thin air. He wasn't accustomed to this kind of reaction to his mockery and teasing. Usually it was anger, or fear. Sometimes sadness. Lots of times it ended in tears. That bang on the wall must of addled her brain, he decided.

It had indeed shaken her brain around, and that was why she was lecturing it.

"… and don't go telling me I should've been more careful because _you_ told me to go to the hot springs too!" She finished, a pout on her lips.

"Well, well. How nice. Perhaps while you have lost your mind, you would help me with something?" Naraku tried his luck. He had to get her to help, didn't he?

"Nuh-uh! Why?" Kagome pouted again, flicking her messy hair back over her shoulder.

"Because." Naraku wasn't about to waste time explaining to the likes of _her. _Damn miko. Kagome turned away from him, examining the wall behind her, it seemed.

"Hey!" He reached out for her shoulder.

"Oi!" She turned around and zapped him with a surprisingly strong amount of miko powers. As it was, his hand melted a bit, but he would grow it back, like he always did.

_And here I was thinking I'd poisoned her enough._

"No touchy." The miko was still in full 'Be-a-toddler' mode, but her eyes were large and unwavering, staring at Naraku with an anger that didn't quite fit the rest of her childish facial expressions. For the first time he began to think that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this miko than met the eye.

"We'll talk again. Eat, _please_." He mockingly played the role of a caring host, then walked _through_ the wall and disappeared.

"Eh?" Kagome stared at the spot on the wall where he'd gone. She crawled over and ran her fingers across the cold stone, but it was perfectly solid. After rapping against it with her knuckles, pushing, blowing, and even kicking against it, it still held firm. She sighed and rested her head against it. Unconsciously, she sent a small wave of miko powers into the wall, and to her utmost surprise, found herself sinking into it. Yanking her hands back, she stared at the wall as if it were venomous, hungry, carnivorous, and about to attack her.

A disturbing thought was introduced to her mind by her brain – which she had vowed to ignore at the moment. But then again, that was kinda hard. If she could get through with her purification powers, did that mean that was what Naraku used, too? She dismissed it, still stubborn to introduce her brain to what she liked to call 'Kagome's Uber Cool Silent Treatment.'

Her brain pushed incessantly, urging her to get outta there. Get the hell outta there! It screamed at her, but she pushed it aside, the food having attracted her more. Her brain commented that it might be drugged, but as she wasn't listening to it at the moment, it was nothing more than a whisper at the back of her head. And a whisper wouldn't be enough to hold THIS Kagome Higurashi back from her food!

Within moments, she had started eating, hesitantly at first, but then faster as she realized how ravenous she was. When the plate was scraped clean, she crawled back to the wall.

Ah, but the ground was swaying ever so confusingly.

Then it was rushing up to meet her.

Then everything went black.

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_She awoke again._

_Again?_

_What?_

_Inuyasha? That was the first thought that came to her mind. There was a pungent smell of … was it blood? She was frightened, and for the first time since she had met Inuyasha, she felt extremely small and helpless._

_A movement at the corner of her eye. What was it? She got up and walked over._

_It was a hand. How odd. She grabbed it, pulled it, and found herself looking at the glassy eyes of her best friend, Sango._

_She screamed._

_She cried._

_She'd been away from them, hadn't she? Or was she back again, now? Which one of these memories was the nightmare?_

_And which one was reality?_

_Sango was whispering to her._

"_Don't be afraid," She was saying._

_How could Kagome not be afraid, right then? How was that even possible not to be afraid? Hell, she wasn't like Sesshoumaru. She couldn't hide her emotions. Even Sesshoumaru had to have emotions. He was surely afraid, at times._

_Don't leave me, Sango. Don't leave me._

_Too late, her eyes were glazed over and skin was pale. She was turning cold, and was obviously limp._

_Kagome was pushed aside by somebody._

"_Sango!" It was Miroku. He had a large gash on his head and was bleeding heavily and fast from his side, but he cradled her and held her close._

_What was happening? Screams, fire. She turned back and Miroku, too, was lifeless._

_She ran._

_Ran to Inuyasha._

_He was fighting, he had many wounds. She screamed his name desperately, wanted to tell him to live. He turned to her- in that moment, he turned to her._

"_Kagome." She could see her name on his lips, and the touch of a smile gracing his face. Then he was stabbed, right through the chest. _

_She'd distracted him._

_NO. NO!_

_He'd died smiling, smiling at her, smiling because of her. Smiling because she was here and alive and he could see her. He'd lost his concentration because of her! He'd DIED because of her._

_She couldn't see._

_All was black._

--

And she awoke in what was surely reality. What she now wished dearly was reality.

She awoke screaming and crying and sobbing and pounding her fists against the wall. Her brain remained silent, for once.

Crying silently- she leaned against the wall, all thoughts of escaping banished from her mind.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

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"KAGOME!"

"Inuyasha, if you keep yelling like that, half the forest is gonna come after us."

Sango shouldered Hiraikotsu and made the remark, seating herself more firmly on Kirara. Miroku was seated behind her, hands still for once and resting gently around her waist, exactly where they should be.

Since that horrible night at the hot springs he had treated her tenderly, as if she was fragile enough to break at the slightest touch. Inuyasha looked away. It was enough to make his heart ache thinking of Kagome.

He barely glanced as he drew Tetsusaiga, going through the motions of slicing apart the snake youkai that was leaping at him.

"KAZE NO KIZU!"

He wasted no time in killing them all. They didn't matter. That was small fry.

There was a small rustle in the bushes.

Sango spun around and threw Hiraikotsu towards the direction of the sound. There was a flash and it missed its target. She turned and had to bank sharply to the right as Kouga appeared, out of breath in front of her.

"Oi! I just managed to get away!" He leapt lightly onto Kirara's head, shoving his nose in Sango's face.

"Where's my Kagome?"

"_Your_ Kagome?" Sango bit back, bopping him on the head with Hiraikotsu for emphasis. Kirara, sensing her mistress's annoyance, flicked her head and sent Kouga flying in another direction. Away from them, hopefully.

To their utmost disappointment, he was back again in a second, this time hell bent on pestering Inuyasha.

"Yo mutt-face!"

"…"

"You lose Kagome? You lost _my_ woman?"

"…"

"You listen, you dawg. If anything happened to MY wo-"

There appeared to be an explosion in the forest, and the next thing a stunned Sango and Miroku were aware of, Inuyasha was standing in a brand new Kaze no Kizu – built clearing, holding Kouga by his neck and pressing him against a tree.

Hard.

"_Damn wolf. So annoying._"

Sango and Miroku exchanged slightly worried glances at the raw anger in his voice. He looked up, and they saw that his eyes were already tinged with red.

Apparently Kouga saw it too, because he started choking out excuses.

"N-not my fault. Naraku's s-scent was already on th-the shards. He's b-been planning this… Lemme g-go."

Inuyasha released the wolf, who fell to the ground rubbing his throat. The cocky look returned to his face and he opened his mouth to make a smart remark. Inuyasha whirled around and plunged the hilt of Tetsusaiga into his gut, knocking the wind clean out of him. Kouga fell to his knees again, clutching his stomach and clearly winded.

"_Don't even think about it._"

The hanyou whirled and stalked off, announcing that they were done here and it was time to move on.

"Wait!" Kouga croaked out, approaching them.

"Haven't had enough yet?" Miroku barred him with his staff.

"I'll help you find Kagome," Kouga told them calmly.

Miroku and Sango looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

"Just don't mess up," He said finally, after pondering for a few long moments. Then the three turned as a group and set off again at a fast pace, leaving Kouga trailing behind, rubbing his throat and mumbling about how Kagome was still _his_ woman.

Inuyasha didn't hear him, as sharp as his hearing was. His thoughts were with Naraku.

_Naraku's scent. Kikyou's scent. She's a miko. Kagome's a miko._

A thousand links were being made, but he still lacked anything that would let him piece them all together.

Soon, he told himself.

_Soon._

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Hmm… it was coming back to her, albeit slowly, but coming back anyway.

Damn that food. She'd listen to her brain next time.

He'd disappeared into the wall and then… what had she done? She'd tried something. And succeeded. In a flash she had recalled what she'd done back then to get through the wall, if only the tiniest bit.

Now, she turned back to the solid stone and sent a soft wave of miko powers through it. It was almost like putting her powers in an arrow, just the tiniest bit harder. If only she had her bow and arrows now.

Her fingers sunk into the wall.

She pushed harder, sending jolt after jolt. Soon she was up to her elbows, then almost to her shoulders. Just before her head entered, she took a deep breath, and then plunged into the unknown.

She couldn't breathe. But then again, she was IN stone, what should she have expected? Keeping her miko powers around her, she attempted to draw them in slightly, to set them in a thick layer around her skin. It worked, and she could move more easily than if she was trying to send them out in a large wave to clear a path. It was still around her, but it wasn't in as wide a range.

This wall was thick. She was starting to feel short of breath. Just when her lungs were getting strained, her hands appeared into air. Lovely, lovely air. Not stone, air.

She pushed harder, legs gripping on the stone as she propelled herself towards the opening.

Then she tumbled out of the wall into a luxurious room.

And into the face of a very stunned Naraku.

--

He'd been about to indulge in a delicious looking chocolate brownie when the damn miko had stepped through the wall.

How had she gotten through? He thought he'd drugged her well enough! Perhaps she had a stronger will than before. Dreaming of your dead friends (the drug was supposed to bring out her greatest fears) should be enough to break your spirit, right?

But she was grimly clinging on by the edge of her nails, holding onto her sanity.

He sprang up, leaving his brownie (awww :P) forgotten on the plate. Shooting out a vine from his arm, he was intending to put her back into a comatose state and leave her to rot in the cell till the next meal when she shrieked an incantation in his face and his tentacle/vine disintegrated.

Shit, it _hurt_. Normal wounds were fine, but purification? That stung, especially for him. Did he really need this puny miko to finish his plans? Maybe he could just kill her…

He got his emotions under control and sighed. He'd just put her to sleep again, for the time being. You couldn't always get what you wanted…

--

She'd shrieked something odd at his face and burnt away his little vine. How'd she know that?

Kagome didn't know how she knew the things she knew she knew, but she supposed it was some odd kind of miko heritage. Her brain was still fuzzy and she decided that, to hell with Naraku, she was gonna escape.

No sooner had she sprinted past Naraku when he transformed again, this time becoming a huge jackal-like creature. Crazed red eyes stared at her with malice, and the mouth of the animal curled in a bestial smile. The spine of the beast was jutting out in odd ridges, and moments later she learnt what they were for, when spikes sprung out through the skin and lined the back. There was a short pause while the animal writhed and contorted, and small spikes jutted out through its skin on its sides, head and neck as well, so that touching it would be painful, for sure, if not deadly. Kagome had no doubt that poison was flowing through every last one of those small and relatively innocent looking spikes.

With a sharp 'click', deadly black claws, dripping with red poison unsheathed themselves from the animal's paws. It dug them into the obviously expensive carpet and then sprung after her.

She regained her reflexes just in time, having been too stunned by the transformation to do anything. With a shriek of surprise and fear, she raised her hands in instinctively, without even meaning to, formed a large spherical shield that curved round to both sides of her body, yet didn't touch the ground. It was a light blue colour, the first time she'd actually seen her energy in solid form besides on arrows. There was no time for speculation now as she felt her strength waver when the huge beast flung itself into the barrier.

The smell of burnt fur and singed flesh filled the air, and Kagome gagged, losing concentration. The shield dropped and the monster was flying through the air towards her.

With instincts passed down through the ages, Kagome did the wisest thing that could be done in that situation.

She ran.

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A/N: HAH! How'd you like that? I liked it :P Sorry it took so long to update. I don't like this chapter as much as some others.. I do like the dream part, though. I wrote it on impulse and it turned out pretty well, in my opinion.

PLEASE REVIEW! I'd like you to spare a couple of seconds to write something, if you please :) The less the reviews, the longer I'll take to put up the next chapter. Cuz, it just makes sense, if your story isn't liked, what's the point in hurrying to write again?

Ok, lets just say until I get at least 3 reviews, I won't update. Yet. I think that's fair, because, regrettably, the number of reviews I have been getting are still diminishing, chapter by chapter. Nasty, isn't it? I also promise you that if you review, I will definitely take a look at your profile. Perhaps review one of YOUR stories in turn, if I like it. No, it's not a bribe. I'm just happy that you took the time to write something (unlike some other people out there. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! --cough-- _lazy_ --cough--) :P Of course I'm kidding.

Oh well, it's your choice. Thanks for reading!

Sesshywesshy


	13. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. At all.

A/N: First and foremost, after telling myself not to spend so long on updating this time, I decided to start writing early. Thus, you are reading this – hopefully – sooner than you read the last one. If you read the last one. If you haven't, I recommend you read from the beginning.

**ChristinaAngel:** Thanks! I enjoyed writing that last chapter as well. I hope this one has been updated soon enough :S Not so sure about that… I'm kinda busy at the moment. Curse school and curse homework!

**Clouds of the Sky:** Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the other story as well :) It makes me happyyyy.

**Serahrose: **Thanks for the review! Haha, school and stuff delays my updates too, so it doesn't matter. I owe you guys as well. Thank you anyway for the compliments :) I like fabricating new evil-animal disguises for Naraku as well, it's fun.

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Chapter 13

The Beginning of the End

She knew she should've done better in P.E. classes back home.

It would've helped in this case.

Kagome skidded around a corner, and the jackal-Naraku beast followed, claws scraping deep gouges in the floor that were lined with poison. She didn't even look back as she heard the hissing of the corrosive liquid burning away at the wooden floorboards through the carpet.

There would be no petting of _this_ animal.

_MOVE YOUR ASS, KAGOME!_

That was what her brain urged her to do, and she obeyed, pumping her legs. Meeting another corner, she tapped into strength and skill reserves that she didn't know she had, using pure adrenaline to turn, brace her feet against the side and back walls, and spring off them to sprint down the hallway again.

Naraku followed, crashing into the wall as his claws failed to gain purchase on the wooden floor. He dug them into the wall anyway, and leapt forward all the faster, using the extra momentum to spring forward and gain on Kagome. The spikes on his sides dug into each wall though, slowing him down.  
With a roar, he pulled them free, collapsing one whole section of the hallway. The noise was deafening, but Kagome kept running. One glance back could kill her.

Kagome shrieked as a claw sliced through the back of her trailing sleeve, just barely missing her skin. A drop of poison fell on her arm anyway, and she could feel the skin itching and burning away. The effects were mild, as the amount of poison wasn't a lot, but she shuddered to imagine what it would feel like if it got under her skin.

Turning, she slid into a room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her fingers were shaking as she fumbled with the door, she was barely even able to lock the door at all. She succeeded just as a huge weight slammed into it, the wood splintering with even one hit. Backing away from the door, she cast around the room for something to bar the door with.

The room was under construction, and her eyes fell upon a bundle of small planks tied together in a bundle. Sprinting over, she managed to pull and haul them to the door, wedging them firmly against it. Still, several of the planks splintered as the weight of the beast slammed against the door again. Kagome reached up and gingerly placed her fingertips on the door, waiting.

She could hear Naraku gathering up speed for another try at smashing the door down. Screwing her eyes shut tightly, she sent a wave of miko powers into the door.

There was a loud banging sound from the other side, accompanied by a disturbing sizzling noise. A yelp sounded around the hallway, then footsteps loping away.

Kagome smirked in triumph.

She backed away from the door slightly, waiting to see if the animal would return, but no sound echoed in the empty hallway. Sighing with relief, she walked to the other end of the room and leaned against the wall, deciding to stay inside the room till she was certain it was safe.

She sank down to a sitting position against the wall, leaving the door barred (just in case) and getting some well-earned rest.

It didn't last long.

There was an enormous crash and the wall just to the right of her head exploded outwards with a massive force.

Kagome shrieked and scrambled away from it, pressing up against the other side of the room.

Something crashed into the wall again, creating yet another hole. This time she caught sight of a fiery eye before the creature drew back. Soon the whole edges of the wall was torn off. The ceiling was ripped clean way from the edges of the room, and she was staring up at Sesshoumaru in all his glory, a massive inu youkai.

His half-moon crest gleamed from his forehead, and white fur covered the inu youkai. Kagome had nowhere to hide as he reached down and batted at her with one huge paw. Her subconscious was thinking that it looked rather cute, but most of her was concentrating on how not to get crushed by the gigantic limb. She ducked out of the way as it swiped at her once again. For some reason she had the feeling that Sesshoumaru was simply trying to frighten her away.

She leaned into the safety of the three remaining walls, sinking into the shadows, hands groping blindly for the door handle so she could escape into the hallway again.

A loud crash caused her to snatch her hand back just in time and stumble away from the wall next to the door. Another crash sounded and two pairs of lethal jaws burst through the plaster and stone, snapping at the air. A pair of shoulders followed, and the jackal/Naraku monster pulled the rest of its body through the self-created hole.

The spikes on its body were rising up and down, glowing red with anger. Instead of fur, the hair on its body had hardened into stiff spikes, like armour. It growled, a deep rumbling sound that caused an involuntary shiver to run down Kagome's spine.

Instead of rushing at her, Naraku faced the fully transformed Sesshoumaru. With a deep growling noise, he began to grow, the head of the jackal writhing as the teeth enlarged till they curved like a sabre-toothed tiger's. The fur on his body turned a jet black until standing in front of Sesshoumaru was a beast not unlike the one that Kagome had confronted just a week or two ago in the tunnel.

Or rather, ran from.

Obviously, the proud inu-youkai was about to do no such thing. He growled and crouched down, ready to spring at Naraku. Likewise, Kagome turned to see the hackles rising on the gigantic monster facing the inu, the beginnings of a roar reverberating in its chest.

Despite the situation and the tense atmosphere, Kagome's brain slipped a random thought into her mind.

_Men…_

She sighed.

The two beasts charged at each other, crashing together with a force that shook the ground. Springing away nimbly despite their size, they rushed towards each other again, snapping their jaws and attempting to gain a firm hold on the others neck. Drops of poison littered the ground and their claws churned up the dirt around them, creating a muddy whirlpool of corrosive ground right outside what was – Kagome now noticed – Sesshoumaru's castle.

Kagome made her way steadily down from what was left of the room she had been in, climbing down a deep gouge made by Sesshoumaru's claws in the brickwork of the building. Her foot slipped on a loose brick and she plummeted downwards, fingers scrabbling for purchase on the rough surface of the outer wall.

Her fall was broken abruptly as she landed on the soft surface of… a feather? Looking up, she saw Kagura pursing her lips irritably at her, but saving her nonetheless.

She gave Kagura a grateful smile.

It was not returned.

They swooped over the figures of the two giant youkai (or half-youkai, in Naraku's case) where a fierce battle was raging amongst the clawed up dirt.

The dust cleared and they saw that Sesshoumaru had clamped his jaws firmly onto the leg of the other beast. Kagome shielded her eyes and cringed when she heard the cracking of bone. She peeked between her fingers to see large, writhing vines sprouting from where Naraku's leg had been, wrapping themselves around Sesshoumaru's large form. The inu dug his teeth into the vines and tore at them viciously, but still they poured out from the severed stump.

Movement in the forest almost directly below them distracted her, and she looked down just in time to see a wave of energy rocket out of the trees and slam into Naraku. It impacted against a shield that had been erected around his body, but he tumbled backwards nonetheless, landing in a dusty heap. A few cracks spider webbed from the impact point on the shield.

She knew that wave, that energy.

Kaze no Kizu.

_Inuyasha._

"INUYASHA!" She screamed, leaning over the edge of the large feather. Kagura made a loud noise of annoyance and grabbed her collar, yanking her back up.

"Stupid girl!" She scolded Kagome, seating her back firmly out of sight.

But the damage had been done. The attention of all three battling beings down on the ground was drawn up, skywards, where her shout had come from. Inuyasha would of course recognize her voice, and sure enough, she heard an answering cry of "Kagome!" echoing from the ground below.

Predictably, Naraku's response was not as welcome.

A large wave of miasma poured towards them, coming faster than she thought possible.

Kagome shrunk backwards onto the feather, staring at the incoming attack, but Kagura simply hissed angrily and materialized a fan out of nowhere.

Her voice was laced with malice as she spoke.

"Remember, Naraku, you may control me, but I control the _wind_."

As if in response to her words, a wild howling sound arose around them, and large currents of wind started blowing downwards to counter the miasma.

Kagome gripped the sides of the feather, expecting the wind to be strong, but it barely even stirred their hair, buffeting the feather gently, nudging it ever higher.

The miasma wave was completely dispersed by the concentrated air, and Kagura let out a low and chilling chuckle at her accomplishment.

Suddenly, large vines shot out and attached themselves to the feather, dragging them downwards. The woman cursed loudly and swiped at them with her fan, muttering an incantation. Blades of wind whipped through the air and severed the lines, but more shot up and completely tipped it over.

They were caught upon a flurry of wind, and lowered gently to the ground. Kagura landed gracefully, her eyes glowing angrily. Kagome landed not-so-elegantly, sprawling slightly, unused to riding on air.

Who could blame her, really?

"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran over to her, yelling hoarsely, his presence had almost been forgotten in the fear and pure adrenaline that raced through her body. She turned and was nearly engulfed in his arms. He held her tightly, each seeking comfort in the other's warmth.

Nearby in the bushes, awaiting an opening to attack Naraku and finish him once and for all, Sango and Miroku crouched down lower. Their hands found each other and he squeezed hers comfortingly. They exchanged small smiles and hunkered down even lower to share a short, sweet kiss.

Kikyou watched from atop a small hill, unnoticed by those down below, as surrounded by love, hate, relief and other emotions as they were. The wind whipped at her miko robes, and her normally beautiful brown eyes emotionless.

Lifeless.

Naraku was engulfed in his own miasma, nursing his wounds.

Sesshoumaru, now transformed back into his human form, whispered her name.

"Kagura."

He walked forwards and seized her hard around the arm, dragging her roughly towards him. With barely contained anger that laced his normally placid voice, he reprimanded her _never_ to do that again.

Never to scare him like that again.

She opened her mouth to give him a snappy reply, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips and a kiss to her cheek. They separated and stood next to each other, ready for battle, waiting for the shield of miasma to disperse, to reveal their enemy.

Kanna walked out of the castle, her mirror clutched in her hands. She was shaking so badly and holding it so tightly that small cracks were spreading from the edge of the glass. Her eyes were filled with awe, fear and excitement at the same time. Her lips kept mouthing the same silent words.

_The broken one is near._

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A/N: SO HOW WAS THAT! I personally really really enjoyed writing the ending, whether you may like it or not.

I hate this fic in the beginning, it gets slightly better in one or two chapters in the middle, then it gets worse, and now I like it! Ohhhhh… the next chapter will be the final battle! Lookin' forward to it!

REVIEW PLEASE!

Thanks for reading!

Sesshywesshy


	14. Finale

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, or any other great big doggies :D

A/N: Well, I just couldn't wait to write this chapter.

**Clouds of the Sky**: Waha! Thanks for reviewing, munchkin! – Author is in an odd mood at the moment. – An author always looks back on their work and either thinks "Ha! Did I write that? Unbelievable." Or "Crap, that was horrible. I should rewrite that but I won't cuz I'm a lazy ass." :D I've thought both before. The latter more often, though XD Glad you liked it!

**PercussionGirl**: Thanks for the review! I'm happy you liked it :) It's okay, you don't have to review for each chapter – though of course it would be _much_ appreciated XD. Ah, I remember you! Animerocks23, huh? Constant reviewer :P Many thanks, again, and enjoy this chapter!

**ChristinaAngel**: Yeah… I wonder what's gunna happen next too :P It's all up to my fingers. They type all by themselves. Thanks for the review!

Oh yes and quite a long, long while ago, I gave up on reading Inuyasha – it was getting too dreary and I had other things to attend to. It was probably just barely halfway through the manga, so I apologize if any of my little finishing touches etc don't match with the manga/anime. I don't watch it, I used to read it, but then I gave up cuz it was so boring.

Though it still makes an excellent manga for fanfictions, I must say :)

So here we go! Second to last chapter! I have to admit, I'm glad to get this over with.

And then I'll start on a new fic. I'm looking forward to that one!

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Chapter 14

Finale

_The broken one is near_.

Kagome and Inuyasha separated from their long hug, fingers entwined, and stood by, waiting for Naraku to emerge from his poisonous cloud of miasma in which he resided, nursing his wounds.

"Damn this," Inuyasha muttered, raising Tetsusaiga impatiently. "Let's just Kaze no Kizu him into oblivion."

"Wait," Sesshoumaru blocked the way with a hand. "The miasma will react violently. There is nothing we can do to poisonous gas – attacking Naraku would kill us all."

"He's healing his wounds in there!" Inuyasha waved towards the rippling surface of the miasma.

"We have no choice." Sesshoumaru retorted coldly, shooting Kagome a glance. She understood, and tugged imploringly on Inuyasha's fingers.

"Inuyasha…" She kept her voice gentle and soft, yet firm enough to make him look at her. He turned his head towards her and his eyes softened.

"I can't just stand by and do nothing, Kagome." He said quietly, his voice almost pleading.

"We have no choice." She repeated Sesshoumaru's words, whispering them so softly that his dog-ears swivelled to pick up the sounds.

His dropped his gaze and raised his sword again. She was about to complain when he raised it over his back, but instead he dropped it, where it sliced into the soft soil and stood vertically.

"Well," he said, sliding down to lean on the large blade. "We might as well rest while we wait."

Kagome smiled at him and sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Sesshoumaru walked back to Kagura and they stood, tense and ready for a fight.

They got one.

The cloud of miasma exploded outwards, blowing away with the wind.

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In the bushes, Sango and Miroku's short sweet kiss had turned into a long one. Remembering the coming battle, they broke apart and peered apprehensively over the edge of the bushes.

The miasma was dispersing, and the shield finally blew away altogether, leaving… nothing.

Naraku was gone.

"What…?" Inuyasha walked up to the area where he had been last seen, searching for any sign that Naraku had left. (Footprints, perhaps? XD)

Sango watched from the bushes. Something wasn't right. Her senses bugged her, urging for her to recognize, to realize something.

It occurred to her in a split second.

"_INUYASHA!_" Even as he half turned towards her, she was out of the greenery in a flash, grabbing him around the waist and propelling him out of the way as a huge arm, sculpted with muscles, burst out of the dirt.

"Hiraikotsu!" She swung her boomerang at it, and a deep gouge appeared on the arm, but no blood poured out. Another arm burst out of the dirt, then a horned head.

A huge clay oni.

Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated hard. A dim shine began to appear in the darkness under her eyelids. She opened her eyes to see that it seemed to be emitting from the oni's neck.

"THE NECK!" She screamed at her companions. "That's where he's hiding!"

Miroku sprang from the bushes after Sango, sutras in hand. He flung them at the neck of the oni, where they stuck, sizzling. The area glowed a sick yellow, an indication as to where Naraku was hidden.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga, the attack ploughing into the side of the oni and sending it tumbling. It was surprisingly easy to knock it over, and he proceeded to beat it to the very edge of the forest.

Miroku leapt nimbly onto the neck of the beast and jammed his staff into the thick clay of the oni's neck. A vine shot out of the wound and slammed into his stomach. The air rushed out of his lungs with an 'oof!' and he slid to the ground, winded.

Sango rolled her eyes at her partner's idiocy and dragged him away from the oni, holding him upright till he got his breath back.

Kagome rushed up with a bow and arrow, newly equipped from the pack that Kirara carried on her back, and shot it towards the head of the beast. It exploded into chunks of clay and stone, which littered the ground next to them, and the stump of the neck was crumbling fast.

Inuyasha swooped in for the killing blow, when there was a flurry of white robes that blocked his sword.

Kikyou.

She had impaled herself on the Tetsusaiga, effectively hindering his attack.

"What?" Inuyasha stared at her, not making the connection between her and her protecting of Naraku.

She slid off the sword and onto the ground with a dull thump, eyes wide and lifeless. No one moved.

There was a cold chuckle as Naraku emerged from the chest of the oni.

"My pretty little puppet." He smirked, looking down at Kikyou.

The rest followed his gaze and nearly died of shock when they saw her body crumbling into pieces of clay.

"Your puppet." Kagome stared at him, repeating his words dumbly with shock.

"Yes. Kikyou was already dead, I'm afraid." He informed them in mock sadness, stepping towards them. The clay crunched under his feet, and Kagome cringed at the noise.

"How… how long?" Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga in warning.

"Not too long ago, I must admit," Naraku tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Sometime _after_ the royal meeting, I think." He grinned.

"Sometime after I got _this._" He held up a scroll, sealed with crimson wax.

"Tha-… That's the royal treaty!" Inuyasha stuttered, Tetsusaiga wavering. "The one that was supposed to be destroyed. The one that – _The one that makes peace with all the leaders of the kingdoms!_"

"Yuppeta!" Naraku pointed at the hanyou. "Bingo!" He spun the treaty around in his hand and caught it again, stowing it in his robes triumphantly. "No destroying for you, filthy half-breed. And after gain my full powers with the help of – " He restrained himself.

"With the help of _certain powers_, not to mention the Shikon no Tama, I'll raise _her _again," he nudged the remains of the Kikyou puppet with his foot "You'll have to marry her or be attacked by three combined armies, and peace will be in the kingdom!"

"The Shikon no Tama?!" Inuyasha raged. "You can't have that… that's impossible! Sesshoumaru took it!"

Naraku cackled gleefully. "Not so, you idiotic prince! There's so much you don't know. I had it all along." He held up a small sphere, three shards missing from it's center. "It's almost complete," he announced with a grin.

"Oh, and…" He held up two more Shikon shards. "I ambushed a certain wolf in the wilderness a while back. You were all so involved in finding your little love that you didn't even notice his sudden absence."

"Kouga's shards…" Kagome whispered, her eyes widening in surprise and worry.  
Naraku cackled and fitted the two shards into the jewel, which glowed softly as they melded. "One shard left!" He grinned maniacally.

"_Why you…_" Inuyasha lost his composure and leapt at Naraku, swinging Tetsusaiga at him as he did so. Naraku calmly dodged the blow and held his arm out in front of him. The skin rippled with an abnormal force before a vine burst out of it. Naraku grasped the edge and pulled out a large thorny whip, which writhed with a life of its own.

After all, it was part of him.

He swung it at Inuyasha, and the whip wrapped around Tetsusaiga. Thorns gouged into the surface, which would cause any other sword to have large scratches down each side, but Tetsusaiga remained untouched.

Another vine sprouted from the whip, and then another and another until they were writhing all over the ground.

Sesshoumaru swung at the vines casually as they came. He held Kagura back. They would wait for Naraku himself to weaken before attacking.

Sango snapped a dagger from a hidden sheath in her arm and slashed at the whips, while Miroku burnt them badly with his sutras. He threw back the rosary on his hand and sucked in a large portion of the vines with the kazanaa, but several Saimyoushou appeared dangerously closed, and even though he persisted, Sango forced him to cover it up.

She leant back, bracing herself on one foot like a discus thrower, wielding Hiraikotsu. Swing it around once, she let fly and sent it to hammer into Naraku's head, causing a huge gash on his temple.

He stumbled backwards a few steps, looking dazed. Touching his hand to the cut, he looked disbelievingly at the blood that trickled from it sluggishly.

"No…"

Light sprang from the wound, suddenly, making the others shield their eyes. Kagome was caught right in the middle of the huge ball of light, staring at it in wonder and horror. She was seeing what the others couldn't from the outside.

A hundred pale ghosts stared out at her with mournful faces, all young girls, uttering cries that she couldn't hear. Eerily translucent hands reached out to grasp her hair, to run their fingers across the skin of her face.

Each time they touched her, they just went right through her. Each time they touched her, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, like a knife in her heart, twisting tighter with every contact. She looked down at her own hands with horror, to find them growing paler and paler, till she was almost like them.

She stared up at the closest girl, who clasped her hands on either side of Kagome's face, though they slipped through in a moment. A small smile lit up the ghostly face, and Kagome realized.

It was Kikyou.

These were the girls Naraku had killed. All to gain his power. And right now he was short of one to be able to absorb the Shikon no Tama completely. He needed _her_.

"KAGOME!" She turned in the light to stare at Inuyasha, who was hammering desperately on the outside of the sphere of brightness, which wouldn't let him in. Turning, she walked through the arms desperately trying to hold her back, finding herself on the edge of the sphere. She took a deep breath.

And smiled.

"I need to solve this first, Inuyasha." She felt herself choking up at the thought that she just might not ever see him again.

"No way in HELL! Come out here right NOW!"

"_Sit, Inuyasha._" She whispered, feeling pain clutch at her heart at the thought that those words might be the last spoken to him. Just in case, she told him.

"_I love you._"

She turned and walked back into the light.

"NO!" He was being pinned to the ground by the force, and he fought against it with all his might but nothing worked. All he could do was trust in her and watch helplessly as she disappeared into the rays of light, which opened to welcome her, ghostly arms that he couldn't distinguish from each other.

He hated being helpless.

Kagome could feel spiritual energy clogging the air as she walked deeper into the light. So this was where Naraku got the spiritual power he possessed.

He had found that he couldn't kill a trained miko like Kikyou with his dark energy.

So he'd used her own forces against her.

She'd kill the bastard.

He'd even created a puppet of the woman, now lying in broken pieces on the ground, pieces of clay, where Inuyasha had struck her down.

How she hated him.

Kagome amassed her own powers around her hands without noticing it, all her anger channelling the energy to her clenched fists. They started to glow a pure electric blue that slowly overcame the white light that lit up the sphere.

Vines dodged at her but were incinerated as her eyes started to glow the same blue as her fists, the same blue as her spiritual power. Her entire arms were now covered in rays of blue light that emitted from her very aura, her hair blowing up in the strongest of winds, though it didn't seem to affect anything else.

Naraku reached a hand towards her, his arm already sprouting several sharp shards of rock to pierce right through her body. His face showed extreme shock as his hand was nearly burnt off entirely. He withdrew, wondering if this feeling racing through his body was fear.

Kagome let out an unearthly scream, which seemed all the voices mixed into one. All of them had suffered. This was their power she had. This was their power they were lending her. This was their revenge.

She clasped her fists together over her head and brought it down. Hard.

The world seemed to explode.

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The sphere of light imploded, shrinking in on itself and then expanding so fast that a shockwave rippled through the ground. It disappeared, melting into the air.

Sharp pieces of rock flew everywhere.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha rushed forwards and supported her as she staggered a bit, smiling a weak but triumphant smile.

There was a burst of miasma right next to them, and Inuyasha scooped Kagome up and sprang out of the way. The poisonous gas hovered like a cloud, and through the yellowish film, they could just see Naraku, his face contorted with pain and hate.

Shards of rock pierced through his body, making him hunch over where a huge piece had gone clear through the flesh, jutting out the other side like some horrific disfigurement.

Carrying his battle scars, he started to make a speedy escape, the miasma blocking Kagome's sight as she tried to aim an arrow, and a cloud of Saimyoushou hovering around him just in case Miroku ventured to uncover the kazanna again.

The houshi leapt forward anyway, staff in hand, sutras at the ready. A sneer curled on Naraku's lips and several large vines shot forward. Miroku was an easy target.

The vines did not miss.

"NO!"

Sango's anguished cry shattered the air.

Kagome let out an involuntary cry herself and released the bowstring.

The arrow shot towards him, a blue trail of pure energy tailing out behind it. It just missed. The miasma parted, however.

Sesshoumaru leapt forward, Tenseiga in hand. The sword that could not cut.

Naraku looked triumphant, rising higher into the air on his cloud of poisonous gas.

Sesshoumaru raised his hand back…

Tenseiga sliced through the air, whistling, and lodged itself firmly in the middle of Naraku's heart. His features twisted from shock to anger as his body disintegrated. His last words?

"Impossible."

Naraku was dead.

The Shikon no Tama rolled to a stop next to Kagome's foot. She picked it up and stared at it, unbelieving.

Tenseiga was once again in Sesshoumaru's hand, and he sheathed it. The edge was now razor sharp, no longer a blunt sword that didn't work.

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Kagome ran over to Sango, who was crouched over Miroku's body. It didn't look promising. The vines were pierced through the side of his stomach, his arm and also his leg. The fatal one was lodged just below his heart. She couldn't tell if it had hit or not.

"Is he alright?" She knelt beside her friend.

Sango looked up towards her with tears streaking down her face, leaving stripes through the dirt on her skin.

"No he's _not_ alright, dammit! I… _shit._" She hugged him close to her.

His hand moved.

"Miroku? Are you okay?" Kagome looked down at him with worried eyes. Inuyasha bounded over, his features concerned. Sesshoumaru and Kagura kept their distance, talking softly. Kanna stared at the Shikon no Tama in Kagome's hand, her lips still moving.

_The broken one._

Unnoticed, Toutousai the sword maker appeared quietly and joined in Sesshoumaru and Kagura's conversation.

"It's gone." The houshi's voice was hoarse, but he was staring at the hand where the kazanna had resided just moments ago.

Miroku let out a weak laugh, but coughed up blood instead. He waved away Sango's hand and wiped his mouth irritably.

"I…"

"What?" She bent closer, her eyes filled with fear for his life.

His hands reached up behind her and he pulled her down, brushing his lips against hers.

"I love you."

"I… what? You know I love you. Why are you…"

"Eh…" He coughed again, an awful noise that wracked his entire chest. Looking around, he seemed dazed. Miroku's face was drawn and tight with pain, but as they watched it softened and he let out his trademark smirk, eyes fixed on Sango's.

"Bear my children?"

"Y-_yes_." She whispered, soft enough that Kagome had to strain her ears to catch it.

"Really?" Miroku was incredulous, his expression almost comical had it not been for the tense atmosphere.

He reached out to stroke her face with trembling fingers.

He smiled.

He died.

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She held him, eyes trained on his, face unbelieving and cold, carved of marble.

She willed him to come back.

He didn't.

Sesshoumaru walked over, Tenseiga in his hilt.

"You can heal him." Sango stared up at him with hope in her eyes. "You can bring him back with your sword." She blinked hard and tears streaked down her face, but she continued to stare at him.

"I can't." Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga. The blade shimmered in the evening sun, and all could see that it was now infinitely sharp. Now it was a blade for death, not for life.

"Inuyasha." He stared at his younger half-brother. "I think you'll find your sword has changed."

Inuyasha picked Tetsusaiga up from where it lay in the dust. It was now blunt, a useless relic of a once powerful sword.

"What the hell?!"

Toutousai appeared like a little old phantom next to his elbow.

"These swords are brothers. When the time demands it, they will switch powers. Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga is now the sword of life. Use it well."

"You mean…" Toutousai nodded solemnly. "I should heal…?" Another nod.

Inuyasha swallowed and turned towards Miroku's body, raising Tetsusaiga.

"Here goes nothing…"

He brought it down.  
Nothing happened.

"You will see the pall-bearers of another world. Wait for it, brother."

"_Half_-brother." Spat Inuyasha, brow furrowed in annoyance and concentration.

"DAMN IT!" He lowered Tetsusaiga and closed his eyes. He turned back to his job. Nothing happened.

"You must handle it with love." Toutousai gave him this useless piece of advice before mounting his bull and riding off.

Inuyasha concentrated. _With love?_ He thought. _Feh. What am I, gay?_ He chuckled as he thought of what Miroku might say to that comment. _With love…_

He swung his sword.

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Miroku sat bolt upright, gasping. His wounds were suddenly gone, though nobody could remember them disappearing.

Sango let out a laugh of pure happiness and hugged him tightly. He returned it with equal enthusiasm, hand sliding a bit lower down her waist than necessary. She drew back her hand and he winced, expecting a slap, but instead she placed it gently on his cheek and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Then she laughed again, tears rolling down her cheeks, though this time from happiness.

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome as she dropped to her knees and laughed and cried along with them. He raised his sword.

"YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha dashed over to Kagome, who had her hand clutched at her side, her eyes surprised. "What the HELL was that for?!" He pressed his hand to her waist, staunching the small amount of blood coming from the wound.

"It was only a small cut, _half_-brother." Sesshoumaru reached down and picked up a bloodstained shard of the Shikon no Tama off the ground. "I only had to get this."

He held it out to Kagome.

She took it.

Opening her clenched hands, she found the almost completed jewel and fit in the remaining shard. It glowed gently as it was completed.

"Make a wish." Whispered Inuyasha gently.

"My home…" Kagome whispered back.  
His eyes were pained as he nodded knowingly, urging her to get herself back to her home world.

"I want to…" She swallowed. "I want to know where I belong. Which world. Somebody please tell me where I belong. I want a world of my own."

For the second time that day, the ground exploded.

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The dust was clearing, slowly. Inuyasha and Kagome watched it apprehensively.

A great monster arose out of the rubble, walking towards them even as another section of the castle collapsed inwards. In one leap it cleared the debris, landing in front of them with a flurry of dust.

Kagome shielded her eyes as a wave of dust roared towards her. Inuyasha held her tighter, his hand still on her waist where the remaining shard of the jewel had appeared.

The dirt cleared and they could see the creature clearly.

Gleaming white fur … a tail… and a crescent moon shape on it's forehead.

Sesshoumaru?

Kagome stared at the proud inu-youkai prince. He was untransformed and still stood where she'd last seen him. She turned back to the great youkai standing before her.

Then this was…

"Father…" Inuyasha whispered, his golden eyes shimmering in awe and emotion. It quickly turned to annoyance.

"FATHER!" He stormed up to the massive inu. "WHAT THE HELL WERE _YOU _DOING?!" He yelled, pointing Tetsusaiga at the youkai angrily. "Everyone thought you were dead," He whispered.

A low rumbling sound came from the inu-youkai. It started to transform, the edges of its form blurring and coming together again to form new lines. Soon a man stood in front of them, his hair silver like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's, a crescent shape on his forehead. His features were more like Inuyasha's than his elder son's, but the stripes on his face and hands marked that he was a full youkai.

"Hello, Inuyasha." He smiled softly and petted his son's ears.

"Hey!" Inuyasha clutched the top of his head. "Cut it out!"

Inu no Taishou cackled gleefully. "I refuse."

Everyone stared at the odd father and son, one who was currently chasing the other's ears.

"Father. Stop this nonsense." Sesshoumaru stared at his father calmly, his features stoic.

"Ah, Sesshy! You've grown so big since I last saw you!" Inu no Taishou turned on the other son, his face the very image of delight.

"Sesshy…?" Sango asked, holding back laughter.

"Yes, my little Sesshywesshy! Isn't he cute?" Inu no Taishou beamed at everyone, who sweatdropped.

Sesshoumaru's gaze could've carved rock.

"Acting so tough. You know you're a big softy on the inside," Inu no Taishou patted his son's cheek several times, turning to face the others in the small group. "Now, what have we here?"

He looked at Miroku and Sango, still sitting on the ground holding each other, though Sango had somehow shifted from holding Miroku in her lap to sitting in his.

"Ah, young love," He winked at them and they blushed. "Izayoi and I were like that when we were young. Speaking of Izayoi, where is she?" He smiled at Kagome.

Inuyasha swallowed and grasped his father's shirt sleeve, tugging him back.

"Uh… dad…"

"Yes?" Inu no Taishou inquired brightly, still smiling.

"Mom… uh… she died."

The smile disappeared, and it seemed to Kagome like the sun disappearing on behind a wall of rain clouds. Inu no Taishou nodded solemnly, pain in his eyes.

"I never realised how long I was away…" He said softly to himself. "Was it the sickness?" he asked Inuyasha, who nodded, swallowing again.

"It's ok." The man patted his son on the ears again. "We all have to pass sometime. I thought I was dead, but then this little girl brought me back." He waved towards Kagome.

"Speaking of girls, Inuyasha, do you have a wife yet?" He inquired curiously, eyes twinkling mischievously again.

"Uh… ah… eh…" Inuyasha replied oh-so-smartly, shooting many oh-so-inconspicuous glances at Kagome.

"Ah, I see. Her, eh?" Inu no Taishou walked over and examined Kagome closely. "How lovely." His gaze fell to something on the ground. "Is that my royal seal see there?"

"The treaty!" Inuyasha ran to it, somehow the only thing unharmed by Tenseiga, probably because it was the only thing not tainted by Naraku's energy.

"Show it to me," Inu no Taishou demanded. "Ah, marriage, huh? So is she-" he pointed at Kagome "- this Kikyou?"

There was an extremely uncomfortable silence.

"Kikyou's dead." Inuyasha replied shortly, refusing to elaborate. "The marriage's off, obviously."

"Really now?" Inu no Taishou knew better than to nose into things like that. "So what's your name?" He asked Kagome.

"Kagome." Inuyasha answered for her, walking over to her side.

"So say, Kagome-chan." Inu no Taishou scratched his head. "Why'd you bring me back?"  
"Br-bring you back?" She stuttered, unused to her straightforward manner.

"Yes. I was dead, and now I'm not, and I've got the _strangest _feeling you've got something to do with it." He smiled at her comfortingly.

"So you _were_ dead?" Inuyasha interrupted wildly.

"Yes." The man smiled tightly. "Now shut up, son, and let the lovely young lady continue."

"Technically, she didn't even start answering in the first place, so…" Inuyasha retorted proudly.

"Well, she would if you let her." Inu no Taishou sealed his son's lips with a hand.

"Uh… I made a wish." Kagome answered his question.

"With the Shikon no Tama? " She nodded. "I think I know what you wished for." He told her gently. "A world of your own?" Another nod.

"You want to know which world you belong in?"

Nod.

"For goodness sakes, _say_ something, Kagome-chan!"

"Um- yes."

"You belong here."

"Oh."

That had been surprisingly straightforward.

"But to make your stay here more comfortable, I'll do this."

He cupped his palms and began muttering under his breath, eyes bleeding from gold into red. An odd light began to shine from within his hands, growing brighter and brighter until they all had to shield their eyes from it, even Sesshoumaru. Inu no Taishou continued to stare into the very centre of the light, smiling ever so softly.

Then he let it go.

It whizzed off into the trees and disappeared.

"Uh. That wasn't supposed to happen." Inu no Taishou grinned apologetically. "Let's follow!" And with that he leapt off into the trees.

"Get on." Inuyasha held out his arms for Kagome, bending down. She smiled and got onto his back, and off they went. Miroku and Sango followed suit on Kirara. Sesshoumaru followed as well, leaping (gracefully, as usual :P) after them. Kagura rode on her feather with Kanna.

They emerged in a clearing and Kagome recognized the sweet smell of flowers immediately. She squeezed Inuyasha's ears and he growled at her. She smiled anyway.

Landing, they saw the sphere of light hovering next to the Goshinboku. It suddenly spiralled slowly towards the ground, and sank into the dirt.

Then something began to grow.

Twisting branches wound themselves out from the ground, writhing in and out and winding themselves into a tight knit until they formed a well, it's interior inky black.

"There, Kagome-chan. My gift to you." Inu no Taishou walked towards Kagome, whose mouth was open with shock. "Just hop in there and think of your home back in that world, and that's where you'll go. Just remember to come back. This is your home now. Now if you excuse me, I think I'll go see Izayoi now."

"Do you not remember that the human has passed away, father?" Sesshoumaru spoke in a cold voice, his eyes not as emotionless as usual but slightly soft.

"I know." Inu no Taishou answered bluntly. He walked to well. "I'll see ya soon! Just let me visit her for a bit." He winked and hopped over the edge. They all peered in. The well was empty, the bottom dry.

"Well, I guess I'll go back then… just for a day or two." Kagome walked forwards and smiled at them all. "Bye. I'll be back soon."

She placed her hands on the edge of the well…

Only to find them snatched away as Inuyasha spun her around to plant a hard kiss on her lips. She hugged him back and when they separated, he stared into her eyes and said simply: "You'd better be."

She smiled and sat on the edge of the well.

She pushed off the edge, closing her eyes tightly.

When she opened her eyes, she was at the bottom of an identical well. Climbing up a ladder on the side, she saw that it was in the shack next to her home, the shrine.

"Kagome! You're back from school!" Her mother stepped out of the house, shielding her eyes against the late afternoon sun setting behind the hills.

Kagome found that she was carrying a backpack, which had replaced her bow and quiver. She grinned at her mom and walked towards her.

"Yeah, mom. You'll never guess how much homework they gave us… A lot happened today."

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A/N: And that's the end to that chapter! The next one will be an epilogue and then FIN! Then I'll start another one, and the process will start all over again.

Except hopefully that one will be more popular :P

Don't worry, I love all the current reviewers!

ONCE AGAIN, PLEASE REVIEW!

Just take some time to do it. I'm getting a lot less reviews nowadays. A second or two to write a few words wouldn't kill you, would it? And I know how you feel, because I feel that way myself, but I swear- if you review, I will definitely take a look at your profile.

Maybe give a review myself.

Just think of it as a gift to me for taking the time to write this chapter- if you don't think it's good then… oh well. Tell me what I should improve then.

Thanks for reading!

Sesshy The Wesshy


	15. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own not Inuyasha, whether it be the manga, anime, or the idea of cute little hanyous with furry dog ears running wild with raven-haired girls. :)

A/N:

**Clouds of the Sky**: Scream ya head off, I have no idea about that movie :) I got the name from one of our school camp advisors by the name of Justin. Perhaps you should ask him :P I loved writing about Inu no Taishou! It was so funny to make him all jolly and happy but nice and powerful at the same time.

**Serahrose**: It's ok! I'm so glad you feel the need to review every chapter and reaaaaally happy that you liked both the chapters! This will be the last, so read it like a happy person! You actually cried when Miroku died? (Oh that rhymes! XD) That just makes me feel… amazed. I mean, I'm not gleeful that I made you cry (now that would be evil :P) but then again, if you managed to make a person feel that strongly about a character, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Thank you SO much for you reviews throughout this story!

**PercussionGirl**: Always happy that you enjoyed it! I'm kinda sad about the story ending too, but at the same time relieved that it's over. To be honest, I'm not sure if I tied up all the loose ends well enough yet :P If you're confused, tell me, will ya? Thanks!

**ChristinaAngel**: Thanks! OF COURSE I wouldn't let MIroku stay dead- that would be so sad.

**MushyJello**: Thanks, JELLYYYYY! Wuhahaha, you should write some stories with ya new account. Have fun and a re-welcome to fanfiction! Ah and thanks for the fav and alert. And the TWO reviews! Thanks for the compliments about the writing too! Aw, it's not that good… you should see the REALLY awesome ones – Try 'Romancing the Stone' by Falling Angels, my cousin! It's really good. Ya! 50th review!

**Sarora1997**: Sadly, no sequel to this story. Naraku's dead, so who's gunna be the next villain? I admit I could write one if I wanted, but I think it better to leave it at this. Besides, I have a whole 'nother story plan ready. Thanks for the review and alert, though.

**Pie-was-here**: Thanks for your alert. If you would review as well, I'd be much much happiii! (I know, wrong grammar, but who gives? This is the A/N!)

I'd like to thank all those who read, reviewed and supported this story while I was writing it. You were a great help- especially the ones who left very… inspiring reviews that made me crack up.

I LURVE YOU ALL! – That was uncalled for, but I'm in a sugary-high mood at the moment, so excuse the random comments.

Even for those who didn't review but put my story on their favourites or alert list (or whatever I should call it), thanks.

For those who read but didn't review, make an effort to, will ya? Don't blame you though, I do it myself (guilty!) sometimes and I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

For those who didn't bother to read, NO THANKS TO YOU! But oh well, can't have everything. :D

Anyway, this is the final chapter!

Enjoy!

SesshyWesshy

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Chapter 15

Epilogue

"Kagome! You're back from school!" Her mother stepped out of the house, shielding her eyes against the late afternoon sun setting behind the hills.

Kagome found that she was carrying a backpack, which had replaced her bow and quiver. She grinned at her mom and walked towards her.

"Yeah, mom. You'll never guess how much homework they gave us… A lot happened today."

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_13 years later…_

"Inuyasha! Did you by any chance see my kimono?"

Kagome called to him, her raven hair barely visible as she rummaged through a drawer.

"Uh… Taro must have taken it." Her husband replied, sitting on the bed and idly playing with baby Jun's feet.

"Stop playing with his _feet_ and help me!" Kagome rushed by, an armful of clothing in her arms. "The banquet is in an hour and I _still_ haven't found that kimono! TAROOOO!" She called for her 4 year old son while reprimanding Inuyasha.

"Uh-huh…" The man replied, still fascinated with the toes of the 9-month-old toddler.

Kagome gave an exasperated sigh and turned to open the storeroom door. She stared down at her older son, who was curled up on her kimono, fast asleep on the floor.

"Aww…" She seemed not to realise all the creases he was causing in the clothing, but instead picked him up and carried him to the bed, setting him down gently. She smiled softly at him. Then…

"I have to find another kimono to wear! _Inuyasha, _help me!"

"Yeah… you seem fine by yourself." Inuyasha grasped Jun's hands and pulled him up to a standing position on the bed. Within a few seconds, however, the kid's legs collapsed under him and he plopped back onto the quilt.

"When are you gonna learn to _stand,_ kid?"

"Don't talk to your own child like that!" Kagome scolded light-heartedly as she rushed by again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_An hour later…_

Sango fiddled with her fingers in her lap, for lack of a better thing to play with.

"If you move your fingers any faster, you're going to start a fire in your lap, darling."

Miroku told his wife, placing a hand on hers. She smiled and entwined her fingers with his.

They were sitting in a row with Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru and Inu no Taishou at the royal table. Inuyasha had chosen Miroku as his royal advisor after he'd been crowned king (Inu no Taishou didn't want the role anymore) and Miroku in turn had promptly appointed Sango as his assistant. They had married soon after and were now almost part of the royal family themselves.

Kagome had of course married Inuyasha, and their two children were sleeping peacefully in their rooms.

Miroku and Sango's only daughter was four years old and hopefully in their room. She had inherited her father and mother's combined mischievous and adventurous personalities, and had probably broken or picked the lock by now. By Sango's experience, she would most likely be in the kitchen harassing the chefs for a cookie.

Sesshoumaru leaned over to Inuyasha.

"You know, brother, I find that I often wonder about Tetsusaiga. Now that it has Tenseiga's powers…"

"I agree." Inuyasha turned to him enthusiastically. "I propose a switch, Sesshoumaru!"

"Very well." The inu-prince tried to look haughty and nonchalant, but Kagome caught a glimmer of a smile on his lips as he received the healing sword again.

"Did you ever use the sword to kill, _brother-in-law?_" She smiled at him, stressing the term and grinning even wider when he shifted uncomfortably.

"I do not see why that would concern you." He glanced at her and fidgeted just the tiniest bit again, sliding Tetsusaiga into his sheath, where it suddenly transformed so that it was a slim white sword again, the exact mirror image of Tenseiga, which had switched to a giant fang.

The swords were returned to their rightful owners.

"Inuyasha, I advise that you put Tenseiga away." Miroku told him, drumming his fingers on the table nervously.

"Why?" Inuyasha was still happily running his fingers across the edge of the blade.

"Well… you're attracting quite a lot of attention, my friend."

"What do you m- Oh, HELL!" He looked up from gazing at his sword to see a group of bright-eyed and attentive little children staring in awe at the magnificent sword, with Shippou at the head. Shippou was now a fully-grown kitsune, though he often tagged along with Kagome like he had when he was a kit.

"Uh… Shoo. Please?" Inuyasha waved his hands at the kids, and though several of them took a couple of steps backwards at the sight of his claws, the rest simply giggled and walked forwards.

"Oh… no… Kagome, help me?" He turned to his wife pleadingly, but she was too busy laughing to help.

"You'd think with your own sons that you'd be able to get along with children, Inuyasha." Sango remarked, looking down to find that her daughter, Sayuri, had miraculously appeared next to her. She lifted the little girl onto her lap.

"It appears that he has not." Miroku smirked, putting an arm around his wife's shoulder and watched as Inuyasha was practically swarmed by a bunch of toddlers and little children.

Sayuri bounced up and down happily and clapped her hands in delight.

Miroku turned to his daughter and took one of her hands gently in his own, pride and happiness showing in his expression. After a moment, however…

"My _god_, child, what've they been feeding you? Your hands are …" He stared at his own hand, now covered in some kind of jelly that had rubbed off from Sayuri's fingers.

The little girl was escorted to the bathroom soon after, flanked on either side by her parents.

Kagome smiled around at the people she considered her closest family and friends. Even Sesshoumaru had a smile on his face (though not overly large) as he and Kagura sat together, talking softly to each other. A teenage girl, Rin, was walking with Shippou. She'd been adopted by them soon after Naraku was defeated.

This was where she belonged, and she'd realized that a long time ago, when she'd needed something to hold on to.

A world of her own.

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A/N: I know it's short, but I didn't want a huge, loooong dragging epilogue, so hope you liked it!

This story has come to an end.

And I've already finished the first chapter for the next :D

So I hope you enjoy, the new fanfiction will be posted soon!

And **PLEASE REVIEW!**

Thanks,

SesshyWesshy


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